Glycopegylated Factor IX

ABSTRACT

Conjugates between Factor IX and PEG moieties. are disclosed in the present application. The conjugates are linked via a glycosyl linking group interposed between and covalently attached to the peptide and the modifying group. Conjugates are formed from glycosylated peptides by the action of a glycosyltransferase. The glycosyltransferase ligates a modified sugar moiety onto a glycosyl residue on the peptide. Also provided are methods for preparing the conjugates, methods for treating various disease conditions with the conjugates, and pharmaceutical formulations including the conjugates.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/915,239, filed on May 21, 2008, which is a U.S. nationalphase patent application of PCT Patent Application No.PCT/US2006/020230, filed May 25, 2006, which claims priority under 35U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/684,729filed May 25, 2005, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/707,994,filed Aug. 12, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/710,535 filed Aug. 23, 2005, each of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vitamin K-dependent proteins (e.g., Factor IX) contain 9 to 13gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues (Gla) in their amino terminal 45residues. The Gla residues are produced by enzymes in the liver thatutilize vitamin K to carboxylate the side chains of glutamic acidresidues in protein precursors. Vitamin K-dependent proteins areinvolved in a number of biological processes, of which the most welldescribed is blood coagulation (reviewed in Nelsestuen, Vitam. Horm. 58:355-389 (2000)). Vitamin K-dependent proteins include protein Z, proteinS, prothrombin (Factor II), Factor X, Factor IX, protein C, Factor VII,Gas6, and matrix GLA protein. Factors VII, IX, X and II function inprocoagulation processes while protein C, protein S and protein Z servein anticoagulation roles. Gas6 is a growth arrest hormone encoded bygrowth arrest-specific gene 6 (gash) and is related to protein S. See,Manfioletti et al. Mol. Cell. Biol. 13: 4976-4985 (1993). Matrix GLAprotein normally is found in bone and is critical to prevention ofcalcification of soft tissues in the circulation. Luo et al. Nature 386:78-81 (1997).

The regulation of blood coagulation is a process that presents a numberof leading health problems, including both the failure to form bloodclots as well as thrombosis, the formation of unwanted blood clots.Agents that prevent unwanted clots are used in many situations and avariety of agents are available. Unfortunately, most current therapieshave undesirable side effects. Orally administered anticoagulants suchas Warfarin act by inhibiting the action of vitamin K in the liver,thereby preventing complete carboxylation of glutamic acid residues inthe vitamin K-dependent proteins, resulting in a lowered concentrationof active proteins in the circulatory system and reduced ability to formclots. Warfarin therapy is complicated by the competitive nature of thedrug with its target. Fluctuations of dietary vitamin K can result in anover-dose or under-dose of warfarin. Fluctuations in coagulationactivity are an undesirable outcome of this therapy.

Injected substances such as heparin, including low molecular weightheparin, also are commonly used anticoagulants. Again, these compoundsare subject to overdose and must be carefully monitored.

A newer category of anticoagulants includes active-site modified vitaminK-dependent clotting factors such as factor VIIa and IXa. The activesites are blocked by serine protease inhibitors such aschloromethylketone derivatives of amino acids or short peptides. Theactive site-modified proteins retain the ability to form complexes withtheir respective cofactors, but are inactive, thereby producing noenzyme activity and preventing complexing of the cofactor with therespective active enzymes. In short, these proteins appear to offer thebenefits of anticoagulation therapy without the adverse side effects ofother anticoagulants.

Active site modified factor Xa is another possible anticoagulant in thisgroup. Its cofactor protein is factor Va. Active site modified activatedprotein C (APC) may also form an effective inhibitor of coagulation.See, Sorensen et al. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 11863-11868 (1997). Active sitemodified APC binds to factor Va and prevents factor Xa from binding.

A major inhibition to the use of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors iscost. Biosynthesis of vitamin K-dependent proteins is dependent on anintact glutamic acid carboxylation system, which is present in a smallnumber of animal cell types. Overproduction of these proteins is limitedby this enzyme system. Furthermore, the effective dose of these proteinsis high. A common dosage is 1000 μg of peptide/kg body weight. See,Harker et al. 1997, supra.

Another phenomena that hampers the use of therapeutic peptides is thewell known aspect of protein glycosylation is the relatively short invivo half life exhibited by these peptides. Overall, the problem ofshort in vivo half life means that therapeutic glycopeptides must beadministered frequently in high dosages, which ultimately translate tohigher health care costs than might be necessary if a more efficientmethod for making longer lasting, more effective glycoproteintherapeutics was available.

Factor VIIa, for example, illustrates this problem. Factor VII and VIIahave circulation half-times of about 2-4 hours in the human. That is,within 2-4 hours, the concentration of the peptide in the serum isreduced by half. When Factor VIIa is used as a procoagulant to treatcertain forms of hemophilia, the standard protocol is to inject VIIaevery two hours and at high dosages (45 to 90 μg/kg body weight). See,Hedner et al., Transfus. Med. Rev. 7: 78-83 (1993)). Thus, use of theseproteins as procoagulants or anticoagulants (in the case of factor VIIa)requires that the proteins be administered at frequent intervals and athigh dosages.

One solution to the problem of providing cost effective glycopeptidetherapeutics has been to provide peptides with longer in vivo halflives. For example, glycopeptide therapeutics with improvedpharmacokinetic properties have been produced by attaching syntheticpolymers to the peptide backbone. An exemplary polymer that has beenconjugated to peptides is poly(ethylene glycol) (“PEG”). The use of PEGto derivatize peptide therapeutics has been demonstrated to reduce theimmunogenicity of the peptides. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,337(Davis et al.) discloses non-immunogenic polypeptides such as enzymesand peptide hormones coupled to polyethylene glycol (PEG) orpolypropylene glycol. In addition to reduced immunogenicity, theclearance time in circulation is prolonged due to the increased size ofthe PEG-conjugate of the polypeptides in question.

The principal mode of attachment of PEG, and its derivatives, topeptides is a non-specific bonding through a peptide amino acid residue(see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,538 U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,689, U.S. Pat.No. 4,414,147, U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,635, and PCT WO 87/00056). Anothermode of attaching PEG to peptides is through the non-specific oxidationof glycosyl residues on a glycopeptide (see e.g., WO 94/05332).

In these non-specific methods, poly(ethyleneglycol) is added in arandom, non-specific manner to reactive residues on a peptide backbone.Of course, random addition of PEG molecules has its drawbacks, includinga lack of homogeneity of the final product, and the possibility forreduction in the biological or enzymatic activity of the peptide.Therefore, for the production of therapeutic peptides, a derivitizationstrategy that results in the formation of a specifically labeled,readily characterizable, essentially homogeneous product is superior.Such methods have been developed.

Specifically labeled, homogeneous peptide therapeutics can be producedin vitro through the action of enzymes. Unlike the typical non-specificmethods for attaching a synthetic polymer or other label to a peptide,enzyme-based syntheses have the advantages of regioselectivity andstereoselectivity. Two principal classes of enzymes for use in thesynthesis of labeled peptides are glycosyltransferases (e.g.,sialyltransferases, oligosaccharyltransferases,N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases), and glycosidases. These enzymes canbe used for the specific attachment of sugars which can be subsequentlymodified to comprise a therapeutic moiety. Alternatively,glycosyltransferases and modified glycosidases can be used to directlytransfer modified sugars to a peptide backbone (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No.6,399,336, and U.S. Patent Application Publications 20030040037,20040132640, 20040137557, 20040126838, and 20040142856, each of whichare incorporated by reference herein). Methods combining both chemicaland enzymatic synthetic elements are also known (see e.g., Yamamoto etal. Carbohydr. Res. 305: 415-422 (1998) and U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication 20040137557 which is incorporated herein by reference).

Factor IX is an extremely valuable therapeutic peptide. Althoughcommercially available forms of Factor IX are in use today, thesepeptides can be improved by modifications that enhance thepharmacokinetics of the resulting isolated glycoprotein product. Thus,there remains a need in the art for longer lasting Factor IX peptideswith improved effectiveness and better pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, tobe effective for the largest number of individuals, it must be possibleto produce, on an industrial scale, a Factor IX peptide with improvedtherapeutic pharmacokinetics that has a predictable, essentiallyhomogeneous, structure which can be readily reproduced over, and overagain.

Fortunately, Factor IX peptides with improved pharmacokinetics andmethods for making them are described herein. In addition to Factor IXpeptides with improved pharmacokinetics, the invention also providesindustrially practical and cost effective methods for the production ofthese Factor IX peptides. The Factor IX peptides of the inventioncomprise modifying groups such as PEG moieties, therapeutic moieties,biomolecules and the like. The present invention therefore fulfills theneed for Factor IX peptides with improved the therapeutic effectivenessand improved pharmacokinetics for the treatment of conditions anddiseases wherein Factor IX provides effective therapy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the controlled modification of FactorIX with one or more modifying group, e.g., water-soluble polymer,water-insoluble polymer, targeting moiety, etc., provides FIX polymershaving heretofore unavailable properties.

In an illustrative aspect, the Factor IX peptide is modified with awater-soluble polymer moiety, e.g., a poly(ethylene glycol) moietyaffording a novel Factor IX derivative with pharmacokinetic propertiesthat are surprisingly improved relative to the corresponding native(unconjugated) Factor IX. Moreover, the conjugated Factor IX retains atleast the pharmacological activity of the unconjugated peptide.

In a first aspect, the invention provides conjugates between Factor IXand a water-soluble polymer having a T_(1/2) enhanced relative to anidentical unconjugated FIX peptide. In a preferred embodiment, thesepeptides show an enhanced recovery relative to the unconjuted peptide aswell.

In an exemplary embodiment, the Factor IX conjugates of the inventionare prepared by “glycoconjugation” of the water-soluble polymer to theFactor IX peptide using a sugar donor conjugated to the water-solublepolymer, and an enzyme that is capable of transferring a modified sugarmoiety from the donor to a glycosyl or amino acid residue of thepeptide. An exemplary strategy for preparation of the Factor IXconjugates of the invention relies on “glycoPEGylation.”

“GlycoPEGylated” Factor IX molecules of the invention are produced bythe enzyme mediated formation of a conjugate between a glycosylated ornon-glycosylated Factor IX peptide and an enzymatically transferablesaccharyl moiety that includes a poly(ethylene glycol) moiety within itsstructure. The PEG moiety is attached to the saccharyl moiety directly(i.e., through a single group formed by the reaction of two reactivegroups) or through a linker moiety, e.g., substituted or unsubstitutedalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, etc.

The polymeric modifying moiety can be attached at any position of aglycosyl moiety of Factor IX. Moreover, the polymeric modifying moietycan be bound to a glycosyl residue at any position in the amino acidsequence of a wild type or mutant Factor IX peptide.

In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an Factor IX peptidethat is conjugated through a glycosyl linking group to a polymericmodifying moiety. Exemplary Factor IX peptide conjugates include aglycosyl linking group having a formula selected from:

In Formulae I and II, R² is H, CH₂OR⁷, COOR⁷ or OR⁷, in which R⁷represents H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl. The symbols R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ and R^(6′)independently represent H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, OR^(B),NHC(O)R⁹. The index d is 0 or 1. R⁸ and R⁹ are independently selectedfrom H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl or sialic acid. At least one of R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ or R^(6′)includes the polymeric modifying moiety e.g., PEG. In an exemplaryembodiment, R⁶ and R^(6′), together with the carbon to which they areattached are components of the side chain of sialic acid. In a furtherexemplary embodiment, this side chain is functionalized with thepolymeric modifying moiety.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of treating acondition in a subject in need thereof. Exemplary conditions includethose characterized by compromised blood clotting in the subject. Themethod includes the step of administering to the subject an amount ofthe polymer-modified Factor IX peptide of the invention effective toameliorate the condition in the subject.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of enhancing bloodclotting in a mammal. The method includes administering to the mammal anamount of the polymer-modified Factor IX peptide of the inventioneffective to enhance clotting in the mammal.

The invention also provides a method of treating a condition in amammalian subject in need of treatment with Factor IX. The methodincludes the step of administering to the subject an amount of apolymer-modified Factor IX peptide of the invention effective toameliorate the condition of the subject.

Also provided is a pharmaceutical formulation comprising apolymer-modified Factor IX peptide of the invention and apharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to thoseof skill in the art from the detailed description that follows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the structure of Factor IX, showing the presence and locationof potential glycosylation sites at Asn 157, Asn 167; Ser 53, Ser 61,Thr 159, Thr 169, and Thr 172.

FIGS. 2A-D are schemes showing an exemplary embodiment of the inventionin which a carbohydrate residue on a Factor IX peptide is remodeled andglycopegylated, and FIGS. 2E-F are SDS-PAGE gels of glycopegylatedFactor IX according to such schemes. FIG. 2A shows sialic acid moietiesare removed by sialidase and the resulting galactose residues areglycopegylated with the sialic acid derivative of FIG. 5; FIG. 2B showsa mannose residue that is glycopegylated with the sialic acid PEG; FIG.2C shows a sialic acid moiety of an N-glycan that is glycopegylated withthe sialic acid PEG; FIG. 2D shows a sialic acid moiety that is of anO-glycan is glycopegylated with the sialic acid PEG; FIG. 2E is a SDSPAGE gel of Factor IX from FIG. 2(A); FIG. 2F is a SDS PAGE gel ofFactor IX from the reaction producing 2(C) and 2(D).

FIG. 3 is a plot comparing the in vivo residence lifetimes ofunglycosylated Factor IX and enzymatically glycopegylated Factor IX.

FIG. 4 is a table comparing the activities of the species shown in FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is the amino acid sequence of Factor IX.

FIG. 6 is a graphic presentation of the pharmacokinetic properties ofvarious glycopegylated Factor IX molecules compared to a non-pegylatedFactor IX.

FIG. 7 is a table of representative modified sugar species of use in thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is a table of representative modified sugar species of use in thepresent invention.

FIGS. 9A-N are tables of sialyltransferases of use to transfer onto anacceptor a modified and/or modified sialic acid moiety, such as thoseset forth herein.

FIG. 10 is a time-course plot comparing the in vivo activity of a FactorIX glycoconjugate with 30 kD PEG (Neose A), a Factor IX glycoconjugatewith 2 kD PEG (Neose B) and unconjugated Factor IX.

FIG. 11 is a plot of in vivo concentration of rhFIX, glycoPEGylated FIX(30 kD sialic acid; Compound A), glycoPEGylated FIX (2 kD sialic acid;Compound B) measured by an ELISA assay.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSAbbreviations

PEG, poly(ethylene glycol); PPG, poly(propylene glycol); Ara,arabinosyl; Fru, fructosyl; Fuc, fucosyl; Gal, galactosyl; GalNAc,N-acetylgalactosaminyl; Glc, glucosyl; GlcNAc, N-acetylglucosaminyl;Man, mannosyl; ManAc, mannosaminyl acetate; Xyl, xylosyl; NeuAc(N-acetylneuraminyl), Sia (sialyl); M6P, mannose-6-phosphate.

DEFINITIONS

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereingenerally have the same meaning as commonly understood by one ofordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Generally,the nomenclature used herein and the laboratory procedures in cellculture, molecular genetics, organic chemistry and nucleic acidchemistry and hybridization are those well known and commonly employedin the art. Standard techniques are used for nucleic acid and peptidesynthesis. The techniques and procedures are generally performedaccording to conventional methods in the art and various generalreferences (see generally, Sambrook et al. MOLECULAR CLONING: ALABORATORY MANUAL, 2d ed. (1989) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., which is incorporated herein by reference),which are provided throughout this document. The nomenclature usedherein and the laboratory procedures in analytical chemistry, andorganic synthetic described below are those well known and commonlyemployed in the art. Standard techniques, or modifications thereof, areused for chemical syntheses and chemical analyses.

All oligosaccharides described herein are described with the name orabbreviation for the non-reducing saccharide (i.e., Gal), followed bythe configuration of the glycosidic bond (α or β), the ring bond (1 or2), the ring position of the reducing saccharide involved in the bond(2, 3, 4, 6 or 8), and then the name or abbreviation of the reducingsaccharide (i.e., GlcNAc). Each saccharide is preferably a pyranose. Fora review of standard glycobiology nomenclature, see, Essentials ofGlycobiology Varki et al. eds. CSHL Press (1999).

Oligosaccharides are considered to have a reducing end and anon-reducing end, whether or not the saccharide at the reducing end isin fact a reducing sugar. In accordance with accepted nomenclature,oligosaccharides are depicted herein with the non-reducing end on theleft and the reducing end on the right.

The term “sialic acid” refers to any member of a family of nine-carboncarboxylated sugars. The most common member of the sialic acid family isN-acetyl-neuraminic acid(2-keto-5-acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-D-galactononulopyranos-1-onicacid (often abbreviated as Neu5Ac, NeuAc, or NANA). A second member ofthe family is N-glycolyl-neuraminic acid (NeuSGc or NeuGc), in which theN-acetyl group of NeuAc is hydroxylated. A third sialic acid familymember is 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid (KDN) (Nadano et al. (1986) J.Biol. Chem. 261: 11550-11557; Kanamori et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265:21811-21819 (1990)). Also included are 9-substituted sialic acids suchas a 9-O—C₁-C₆ acyl-Neu5Ac like 9-β-lactyl-Neu5Ac or 9-O-acetyl-Neu5Ac,9-deoxy-9-fluoro-Neu5Ac and 9-azido-9-deoxy-NeuSAc. For review of thesialic acid family, see, e.g., Varki, Glycobiology 2: 25-40 (1992);Sialic Acids Chemistry, Metabolism and Function, R. Schauer, Ed.(Springer-Verlag, New York (1992)). The synthesis and use of sialic acidcompounds in a sialylation procedure is disclosed in internationalapplication WO 92/16640, published Oct. 1, 1992.

“Peptide” refers to a polymer in which the monomers are amino acids andare joined together through amide bonds, alternatively referred to as apolypeptide. Additionally, unnatural amino acids, for example,β-alanine, phenylglycine and homoarginine are also included. Amino acidsthat are not gene-encoded may also be used in the present invention.Furthermore, amino acids that have been modified to include reactivegroups, glycosylation sites, polymers, therapeutic moieties,biomolecules and the like may also be used in the invention. All of theamino acids used in the present invention may be either the D- orL-isomer. The L-isomer is generally preferred. In addition, otherpeptidomimetics are also useful in the present invention. As usedherein, “peptide” refers to both glycosylated and unglycosylatedpeptides. Also included are peptides that are incompletely glycosylatedby a system that expresses the peptide. For a general review, see,Spatola, A. F., in CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF AMINO ACIDS, PEPTIDESAND PROTEINS, B. Weinstein, eds., Marcel Dekker, New York, p. 267(1983).

The term “peptide conjugate,” refers to species of the invention inwhich a peptide is conjugated with a modified sugar as set forth herein.

The term “amino acid” refers to naturally occurring and synthetic aminoacids, as well as amino acid analogs and amino acid mimetics thatfunction in a manner similar to the naturally occurring amino acids.Naturally occurring amino acids are those encoded by the genetic code,as well as those amino acids that are later modified, e.g.,hydroxyproline, γ-carboxyglutamate, and O-phosphoserine Amino acidanalogs refers to compounds that have the same basic chemical structureas a naturally occurring amino acid, i.e., an a carbon that is bound toa hydrogen, a carboxyl group, an amino group, and an R group, e.g.,homoserine, norleucine, methionine sulfoxide, methionine methylsulfonium. Such analogs have modified R groups (e.g., norleucine) ormodified peptide backbones, but retain the same basic chemical structureas a naturally occurring amino acid Amino acid mimetics refers tochemical compounds that have a structure that is different from thegeneral chemical structure of an amino acid, but that function in amanner similar to a naturally occurring amino acid.

As used herein, the term “modified sugar,” refers to a naturally- ornon-naturally-occurring carbohydrate that is enzymatically added onto anamino acid or a glycosyl residue of a peptide in a process of theinvention. The modified sugar is selected from enzyme substratesincluding, but not limited to sugar nucleotides (mono-, di-, andtri-phosphates), activated sugars (e.g., glycosyl halides, glycosylmesylates) and sugars that are neither activated nor nucleotides. The“modified sugar” is covalently functionalized with a “modifying group.”Useful modifying groups include, but are not limited to, PEG moieties,therapeutic moieties, diagnostic moieties, biomolecules and the like.The modifying group is preferably not a naturally occurring, or anunmodified carbohydrate. The locus of functionalization with themodifying group is selected such that it does not prevent the “modifiedsugar” from being added enzymatically to a peptide.

The term “water-soluble” refers to moieties that have some detectabledegree of solubility in water. Methods to detect and/or quantify watersolubility are well known in the art. Exemplary water-soluble polymersinclude peptides, saccharides, poly(ethers), poly(amines),poly(carboxylic acids) and the like. Peptides can have mixed sequencesof be composed of a single amino acid, e.g., poly(lysine). An exemplarypolysaccharide is poly(sialic acid). An exemplary poly(ether) ispoly(ethylene glycol). Poly(ethylene imine) is an exemplary polyamine,and poly(acrylic) acid is a representative poly(carboxylic acid).

The polymer backbone of the water-soluble polymer can be poly(ethyleneglycol) (i.e. PEG). However, it should be understood that other relatedpolymers are also suitable for use in the practice of this invention andthat the use of the term PEG or poly(ethylene glycol) is intended to beinclusive and not exclusive in this respect. The term PEG includespoly(ethylene glycol) in any of its forms, including alkoxy PEG,difunctional PEG, multiarmed PEG, forked PEG, branched PEG, pendent PEG(i.e. PEG or related polymers having one or more functional groupspendent to the polymer backbone), or PEG with degradable linkagestherein.

The polymer backbone can be linear or branched. Branched polymerbackbones are generally known in the art. Typically, a branched polymerhas a central branch core moiety and a plurality of linear polymerchains linked to the central branch core. PEG is commonly used inbranched forms that can be prepared by addition of ethylene oxide tovarious polyols, such as glycerol, pentaerythritol and sorbitol. Thecentral branch moiety can also be derived from several amino acids, suchas lysine. The branched poly(ethylene glycol) can be represented ingeneral form as R(—PEG-OH)_(m) in which R represents the core moiety,such as glycerol or pentaerythritol, and m represents the number ofarms. Multi-armed PEG molecules, such as those described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,932,462, which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety, can also be used as the polymer backbone.

Many other polymers are also suitable for the invention. Polymerbackbones that are non-peptidic and water-soluble, with from 2 to about300 termini, are particularly useful in the invention. Examples ofsuitable polymers include, but are not limited to, other poly(alkyleneglycols), such as poly(propylene glycol) (“PPG”), copolymers of ethyleneglycol and propylene glycol and the like, poly(oxyethylated polyol),poly(olefinic alcohol), poly(vinylpyrrolidone),poly(hydroxypropylmethacrylamide), poly(α-hydroxy acid), poly(vinylalcohol), polyphosphazene, polyoxazoline, poly(N-acryloylmorpholine),such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,384, which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety, and copolymers, terpolymers, andmixtures thereof. Although the molecular weight of each chain of thepolymer backbone can vary, it is typically in the range of from about100 Da to about 100,000 Da, often from about 6,000 Da to about 80,000Da.

The “area under the curve” or “AUC”, as used herein in the context ofadministering a peptide drug to a patient, is defined as total areaunder the curve that describes the concentration of drug in systemiccirculation in the patient as a function of time from zero to infinity.

The term “half-life” or “t½”, as used herein in the context ofadministering a peptide drug to a patient, is defined as the timerequired for plasma concentration of a drug in a patient to be reducedby one half. There may be more than one half-life associated with thepeptide drug depending on multiple clearance mechanisms, redistribution,and other mechanisms well known in the art. Usually, alpha and betahalf-lives are defined such that the alpha phase is associated withredistribution, and the beta phase is associated with clearance.However, with protein drugs that are, for the most part, confined to thebloodstream, there can be at least two clearance half-lives. For someglycosylated peptides, rapid beta phase clearance may be mediated viareceptors on macrophages, or endothelial cells that recognize terminalgalactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, orfucose. Slower beta phase clearance may occur via renal glomerularfiltration for molecules with an effective radius <2 nm (approximately68 kD) and/or specific or non-specific uptake and metabolism in tissues.GlycoPEGylation may cap terminal sugars (e.g., galactose orN-acetylgalactosamine) and thereby block rapid alpha phase clearance viareceptors that recognize these sugars. It may also confer a largereffective radius and thereby decrease the volume of distribution andtissue uptake, thereby prolonging the late beta phase. Thus, the preciseimpact of glycoPEGylation on alpha phase and beta phase half-lives willvary depending upon the size, state of glycosylation, and otherparameters, as is well known in the art. Further explanation of“half-life” is found in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (1997, D F ACrommelin and R D Sindelar, eds., Harwood Publishers, Amsterdam, pp101-120).

The term “terminal half life” or “terminal T_(1/2),” refers to theeffective half-life of the elimination phase. For example, for the twocompartment model, the beta phase constant (beta=elimination constant)can be used to calculate the half-life of the elimination phase, e.g.,T_(1/2)=0.693/beta.

The term “recovery” refers to a quantity determined from the peak factorlevel that occurs in the first hour post-administration. This figureshould be reported as an incremental value, i.e., after subtracting thebaseline (pre-administration) level and then reported on a per dosagebasis as (U/mL)/(U/kg). See, Lee et al., Hemophilia (2006), 12, (Suppl.3), 1-7.

The term “glycoconjugation,” as used herein, refers to the enzymaticallymediated conjugation of a modified sugar species to an amino acid orglycosyl residue of a polypeptide, e.g., a Factor IX peptide of thepresent invention. A subgenus of “glycoconjugation” is“glycol-PEGylation,” in which the modifying group of the modified sugaris poly(ethylene glycol), and alkyl derivative (e.g., m-PEG) or reactivederivative (e.g., H₂N-PEG, HOOC-PEG) thereof.

The terms “large-scale” and “industrial-scale” are used interchangeablyand refer to a reaction cycle that produces at least about 250 mg,preferably at least about 500 mg, and more preferably at least about 1gram of glycoconjugate at the completion of a single reaction cycle.

The term, “glycosyl linking group,” as used herein refers to a glycosylresidue to which a modifying group (e.g., PEG moiety, therapeuticmoiety, biomolecule) is covalently attached; the glycosyl linking groupjoins the modifying group to the remainder of the conjugate. In themethods of the invention, the “glycosyl linking group” becomescovalently attached to a glycosylated or unglycosylated peptide, therebylinking the agent to an amino acid and/or glycosyl residue on thepeptide. A “glycosyl linking group” is generally derived from a“modified sugar” by the enzymatic attachment of the “modified sugar” toan amino acid and/or glycosyl residue of the peptide. The glycosyllinking group can be a saccharide-derived structure that is degradedduring formation of modifying group-modified sugar cassette (e.g.,oxidation→Schiff base formation→reduction), or the glycosyl linkinggroup may be intact. An “intact glycosyl linking group” refers to alinking group that is derived from a glycosyl moiety in which thesaccharide monomer that links the modifying group and to the remainderof the conjugate is not degraded, e.g., oxidized, e.g., by sodiummetaperiodate. “Intact glycosyl linking groups” of the invention may bederived from a naturally occurring oligosaccharide by addition ofglycosyl unit(s) or removal of one or more glycosyl unit from a parentsaccharide structure.

The term “targeting moiety,” as used herein, refers to species that willselectively localize in a particular tissue or region of the body. Thelocalization is mediated by specific recognition of moleculardeterminants, molecular size of the targeting agent or conjugate, ionicinteractions, hydrophobic interactions and the like. Other mechanisms oftargeting an agent to a particular tissue or region are known to thoseof skill in the art. Exemplary targeting moieties include antibodies,antibody fragments, transferrin, HS-glycoprotein, coagulation factors,serum proteins, 3-glycoprotein, G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, EPO and the like.

As used herein, “therapeutic moiety” means any agent useful for therapyincluding, but not limited to, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents,anti-tumor drugs, cytotoxins, and radioactive agents. “Therapeuticmoiety” includes prodrugs of bioactive agents, constructs in which morethan one therapeutic moiety is bound to a carrier, e.g, multivalentagents. Therapeutic moiety also includes proteins and constructs thatinclude proteins. Exemplary proteins include, but are not limited to,Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF), Granulocyte MacrophageColony Stimulating Factor (GMCSF), Interferon (e.g., Interferon-α, -β,-γ), Interleukin (e.g., Interleukin II), serum proteins (e.g., FactorsVII, VIIa, VIII, IX, and X), Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG),Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing Hormone (LH) andantibody fusion proteins (e.g. Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor ((TNFR)/Fcdomain fusion protein)).

As used herein, “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” includes anymaterial, which when combined with the conjugate retains the conjugates'activity and is non-reactive with the subject's immune systems. Examplesinclude, but are not limited to, any of the standard pharmaceuticalcarriers such as a phosphate buffered saline solution, water, emulsionssuch as oil/water emulsion, and various types of wetting agents. Othercarriers may also include sterile solutions, tablets including coatedtablets and capsules. Typically such carriers contain excipients such asstarch, milk, sugar, certain types of clay, gelatin, stearic acid orsalts thereof, magnesium or calcium stearate, talc, vegetable fats oroils, gums, glycols, or other known excipients. Such carriers may alsoinclude flavor and color additives or other ingredients. Compositionscomprising such carriers are formulated by well known conventionalmethods.

As used herein, “administering,” means oral administration,administration as a suppository, topical contact, intravenous,intraperitoneal, intramuscular, intralesional, intranasal orsubcutaneous administration, or the implantation of a slow-releasedevice e.g., a mini-osmotic pump, to the subject. Administration is byany route including parenteral, and transmucosal (e.g., oral, nasal,vaginal, rectal, or transdermal). Parenteral administration includes,e.g., intravenous, intramuscular, intra-arteriole, intradermal,subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intraventricular, and intracranial.Moreover, where injection is to treat a tumor, e.g., induce apoptosis,administration may be directly to the tumor and/or into tissuessurrounding the tumor. Other modes of delivery include, but are notlimited to, the use of liposomal formulations, intravenous infusion,transdermal patches, etc.

The term “ameliorating” or “ameliorate” refers to any indicia of successin the treatment of a pathology or condition, including any objective orsubjective parameter such as abatement, remission or diminishing ofsymptoms or an improvement in a patient's physical or mental well-being.Amelioration of symptoms can be based on objective or subjectiveparameters; including the results of a physical examination and/or apsychiatric evaluation.

The term “therapy” refers to“treating” or “treatment” of a disease orcondition including preventing the disease or condition from occurringin an animal that may be predisposed to the disease but does not yetexperience or exhibit symptoms of the disease (prophylactic treatment),inhibiting the disease (slowing or arresting its development), providingrelief from the symptoms or side-effects of the disease (includingpalliative treatment), and relieving the disease (causing regression ofthe disease).

The term “effective amount” or “an amount effective to” or a“therapeutically effective amount” or any gramatically equivalent termmeans the amount that, when administered to an animal for treating adisease, is sufficient to effect treatment for that disease.

The term “isolated” refers to a material that is substantially oressentially free from components, which are used to produce thematerial. For peptide conjugates of the invention, the term “isolated”refers to material that is substantially or essentially free fromcomponents which normally accompany the material in the mixture used toprepare the peptide conjugate. “Isolated” and “pure” are usedinterchangeably. Typically, isolated peptide conjugates of the inventionhave a level of purity preferably expressed as a range. The lower end ofthe range of purity for the peptide conjugates is about 60%, about 70%or about 80% and the upper end of the range of purity is about 70%,about 80%, about 90% or more than about 90%.

When the peptide conjugates are more than about 90% pure, their puritiesare also preferably expressed as a range. The lower end of the range ofpurity is about 90%, about 92%, about 94%, about 96% or about 98%. Theupper end of the range of purity is about 92%, about 94%, about 96%,about 98% or about 100% purity.

Purity is determined by any art-recognized method of analysis (e.g.,band intensity on a silver stained gel, polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis, HPLC, or a similar means).

“Essentially each member of the population,” as used herein, describes acharacteristic of a population of peptide conjugates of the invention inwhich a selected percentage of the modified sugars added to a peptideare added to multiple, identical acceptor sites on the peptide.“Essentially each member of the population” speaks to the “homogeneity”of the sites on the peptide conjugated to a modified sugar and refers toconjugates of the invention, which are at least about 80%, preferably atleast about 90% and more preferably at least about 95% homogenous.

“Homogeneity,” refers to the structural consistency across a populationof acceptor moieties to which the modified sugars are conjugated. Thus,in a peptide conjugate of the invention in which each modified sugarmoiety is conjugated to an acceptor site having the same structure asthe acceptor site to which every other modified sugar is conjugated, thepeptide conjugate is said to be about 100% homogeneous. Homogeneity istypically expressed as a range. The lower end of the range ofhomogeneity for the peptide conjugates is about 60%, about 70% or about80% and the upper end of the range of purity is about 70%, about 80%,about 90% or more than about 90%.

When the peptide conjugates are more than or equal to about 90%homogeneous, their homogeneity is also preferably expressed as a range.The lower end of the range of homogeneity is about 90%, about 92%, about94%, about 96% or about 98%. The upper end of the range of purity isabout 92%, about 94%, about 96%, about 98% or about 100% homogeneity.The purity of the peptide conjugates is typically determined by one ormore methods known to those of skill in the art, e.g., liquidchromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), matrix assisted laserdesorption mass time of flight spectrometry (MALDITOF), capillaryelectrophoresis, and the like.

“Substantially uniform glycoform” or a “substantially uniformglycosylation pattern,” when referring to a glycopeptide species, refersto the percentage of acceptor moieties that are glycosylated by theglycosyltransferase of interest (e.g., fucosyltransferase). For example,in the case of a α1,2 fucosyltransferase, a substantially uniformfucosylation pattern exists if substantially all (as defined below) ofthe Galβ1,4-GlcNAc—R and sialylated analogues thereof are fucosylated ina peptide conjugate of the invention. It will be understood by one ofskill in the art, that the starting material may contain glycosylatedacceptor moieties (e.g., fucosylated Galβ1,4-GlcNAc—R moieties). Thus,the calculated percent glycosylation will include acceptor moieties thatare glycosylated by the methods of the invention, as well as thoseacceptor moieties already glycosylated in the starting material.

The term “substantially” in the above definitions of “substantiallyuniform” generally means at least about 40%, at least about 70%, atleast about 80%, or more preferably at least about 90%, and still morepreferably at least about 95% of the acceptor moieties for a particularglycosyltransferase are glycosylated.

Where substituent groups are specified by their conventional chemicalformulae, written from left to right, they equally encompass thechemically identical substituents, which would result from writing thestructure from right to left, e.g., —CH₂O— is intended to also recite—OCH₂—.

The term “alkyl,” by itself or as part of another substituent means,unless otherwise stated, a straight or branched chain, or cyclichydrocarbon radical, or combination thereof, which may be fullysaturated, mono- or polyunsaturated and can include di- and multivalentradicals, having the number of carbon atoms designated (i.e. C₁-C₁₀means one to ten carbons). Examples of saturated hydrocarbon radicalsinclude, but are not limited to, groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, cyclohexyl,(cyclohexyl)methyl, cyclopropylmethyl, homologs and isomers of, forexample, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, and the like. Anunsaturated alkyl group is one having one or more double bonds or triplebonds. Examples of unsaturated alkyl groups include, but are not limitedto, vinyl, 2-propenyl, crotyl, 2-isopentenyl, 2-(butadienyl),2,4-pentadienyl, 3-(1,4-pentadienyl), ethynyl, 1- and 3-propynyl,3-butynyl, and the higher homologs and isomers. The term “alkyl,” unlessotherwise noted, is also meant to include those derivatives of alkyldefined in more detail below, such as “heteroalkyl.” Alkyl groups thatare limited to hydrocarbon groups are termed “homoalkyl”.

The term “alkylene” by itself or as part of another substituent means adivalent radical derived from an alkane, as exemplified, but notlimited, by —CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂—, and further includes those groups describedbelow as “heteroalkylene.” Typically, an alkyl (or alkylene) group willhave from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, with those groups having 10 or fewercarbon atoms being preferred in the present invention. A “lower alkyl”or “lower alkylene” is a shorter chain alkyl or alkylene group,generally having eight or fewer carbon atoms.

The terms “alkoxy,” “alkylamino” and “alkylthio” (or thioalkoxy) areused in their conventional sense, and refer to those alkyl groupsattached to the remainder of the molecule via an oxygen atom, an aminogroup, or a sulfur atom, respectively.

The term “heteroalkyl,” by itself or in combination with another term,means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight or branched chain, orcyclic hydrocarbon radical, or combinations thereof, consisting of thestated number of carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom selected fromthe group consisting of O, N, Si and S, and wherein the nitrogen andsulfur atoms may optionally be oxidized and the nitrogen heteroatom mayoptionally be quaternized. The heteroatom(s) O, N and S and Si may beplaced at any interior position of the heteroalkyl group or at theposition at which the alkyl group is attached to the remainder of themolecule. Examples include, but are not limited to, —CH₂—CH₂—O—CH₃,—CH₂—CH₂—NH—CH₃, —CH₂—CH₂—N(CH₃)—CH₃, —CH₂—S—CH₂—CH₃, —CH₂—CH₂,—S(O)—CH₃, —CH₂—CH₂—S(O)₂—CH₃, —CH═CH—O—CH₃, —Si(CH₃)₃, —CH₂—CH═N—OCH₃,and —CH═CH—N(CH₃)—CH₃. Up to two heteroatoms may be consecutive, suchas, for example, —CH₂—NH—OCH₃ and —CH₂—O−Si(CH₃)₃. Similarly, the term“heteroalkylene” by itself or as part of another substituent means adivalent radical derived from heteroalkyl, as exemplified, but notlimited by, —CH₂—CH₂—S—CH₂—CH₂— and —CH₂—S—CH₂—CH₂—NH—CH₂—. Forheteroalkylene groups, heteroatoms can also occupy either or both of thechain termini (e.g., alkyleneoxy, alkylenedioxy, alkyleneamino,alkylenediamino, and the like). Still further, for alkylene andheteroalkylene linking groups, no orientation of the linking group isimplied by the direction in which the formula of the linking group iswritten. For example, the formula —C(O)₂R′— represents both —C(O)₂R′—and —R′C(O)₂—.

The terms “cycloalkyl” and “heterocycloalkyl”, by themselves or incombination with other terms, represent, unless otherwise stated, cyclicversions of “alkyl” and “heteroalkyl”, respectively. Additionally, forheterocycloalkyl, a heteroatom can occupy the position at which theheterocycle is attached to the remainder of the molecule. Examples ofcycloalkyl include, but are not limited to, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,1-cyclohexenyl, 3-cyclohexenyl, cycloheptyl, and the like. Examples ofheterocycloalkyl include, but are not limited to,1-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridyl), 1-piperidinyl, 2-piperidinyl,3-piperidinyl, 4-morpholinyl, 3-morpholinyl, tetrahydrofuran-2-yl,tetrahydrofuran-3-yl, tetrahydrothien-2-yl, tetrahydrothien-3-yl,1-piperazinyl, 2-piperazinyl, and the like.

The terms “halo” or “halogen,” by themselves or as part of anothersubstituent, mean, unless otherwise stated, a fluorine, chlorine,bromine, or iodine atom. Additionally, terms such as “haloalkyl,” aremeant to include monohaloalkyl and polyhaloalkyl. For example, the term“halo(C₁-C₄)alkyl” is mean to include, but not be limited to,trifluoromethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl, 4-chlorobutyl, 3-bromopropyl, andthe like.

The term “aryl” means, unless otherwise stated, a polyunsaturated,aromatic, substituent that can be a single ring or multiple rings(preferably from 1 to 3 rings), which are fused together or linkedcovalently. The term “heteroaryl” refers to aryl groups (or rings) thatcontain from one to four heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S, whereinthe nitrogen and sulfur atoms are optionally oxidized, and the nitrogenatom(s) are optionally quaternized. A heteroaryl group can be attachedto the remainder of the molecule through a heteroatom. Non-limitingexamples of aryl and heteroaryl groups include phenyl, 1-naphthyl,2-naphthyl, 4-biphenyl, 1-pyrrolyl, 2-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrazolyl,2-imidazolyl, 4-imidazolyl, pyrazinyl, 2-oxazolyl, 4-oxazolyl,2-phenyl-4-oxazolyl, 5-oxazolyl, 3-isoxazolyl, 4-isoxazolyl,5-isoxazolyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-thiazolyl, 5-thiazolyl, 2-furyl, 3-furyl,2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-pyrimidyl,4-pyrimidyl, 5-benzothiazolyl, purinyl, 2-benzimidazolyl, 5-indolyl,1-isoquinolyl, 5-isoquinolyl, 2-quinoxalinyl, 5-quinoxalinyl,3-quinolyl, tetrazolyl, benzo[b]furanyl, benzo[b]thienyl,2,3-dihydrobenzo[1,4]dioxin-6-yl, benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl and 6-quinolyl.Substituents for each of the above noted aryl and heteroaryl ringsystems are selected from the group of acceptable substituents describedbelow.

For brevity, the term “aryl” when used in combination with other terms(e.g., aryloxy, arylthioxy, arylalkyl) includes both aryl and heteroarylrings as defined above. Thus, the term “arylalkyl” is meant to includethose radicals in which an aryl group is attached to an alkyl group(e.g., benzyl, phenethyl, pyridylmethyl and the like) including thosealkyl groups in which a carbon atom (e.g., a methylene group) has beenreplaced by, for example, an oxygen atom (e.g., phenoxymethyl,2-pyridyloxymethyl, 3-(1-naphthyloxy)propyl, and the like).

Each of the above terms (e.g., “alkyl,” “heteroalkyl,” “aryl” and“heteroaryl”) is meant to include both substituted and unsubstitutedforms of the indicated radical. Preferred substituents for each type ofradical are provided below.

Substituents for the alkyl and heteroalkyl radicals (including thosegroups often referred to as alkylene, alkenyl, heteroalkylene,heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, andheterocycloalkenyl) are generically referred to as “alkyl groupsubstituents,” and they can be one or more of a variety of groupsselected from, but not limited to: —OR′, ═O, ═NR′, ═N—OR′, —NR′R″, —SR′,-halogen, —SiR′R″R′″, —OC(O)R′, —C(O)R′, —CO₂R′, —CONR′R″, —OC(O)NR′R″,—NR″C(O)R′, —NR′—C(O)NR″R′″, —NR″C(O)₂R′, —NR—C(NR′R″R″)═NR″,—NR—C(NR′R″)═NR″, —S(O)R′, —S(O)₂R′, —S(O)₂NR′R″, —NRSO₂R′, —CN and —NO₂in a number ranging from zero to (2m′+1), where m′ is the total numberof carbon atoms in such radical. R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ each preferablyindependently refer to hydrogen, substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, e.g., aryl substitutedwith 1-3 halogens, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy orthioalkoxy groups, or arylalkyl groups. When a compound of the inventionincludes more than one R group, for example, each of the R groups isindependently selected as are each R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ groups when morethan one of these groups is present. When R′ and R″ are attached to thesame nitrogen atom, they can be combined with the nitrogen atom to forma 5-, 6-, or 7-membered ring. For example, —NR′R″ is meant to include,but not be limited to, 1-pyrrolidinyl and 4-morpholinyl. From the abovediscussion of substituents, one of skill in the art will understand thatthe term “alkyl” is meant to include groups including carbon atoms boundto groups other than hydrogen groups, such as haloalkyl (e.g., —CF₃ and—CH₂CF₃) and acyl (e.g., —C(O)CH₃, —C(O)CF₃, —C(O)CH₂OCH₃, and thelike).

Similar to the substituents described for the alkyl radical,substituents for the aryl and heteroaryl groups are generically referredto as “aryl group substituents.” The substituents are selected from, forexample: halogen, —OR′, ═O, ═NR′, ═N—OR′, —NR′R, —SR′, -halogen,—SiR′R″R″, —OC(O)R′, —C(O)R′, —CO₂R′, —CONR′R″, —OC(O)NR′R″, —NR″C(O)R′,—NR′—C(O)NR″R″′, —NR″C(O)₂R′, —NR—C(NR′R″R′″)═NR′, —NR—C(NR′R″)═NR′″,—S(O)R′, —S(O)₂R′, —S(O)₂NR′R″, —NRSO₂R′, —CN and —NO₂, —R′, —N₃,—CH(Ph)₂, fluoro(C₁-C₄)alkoxy, and fluoro(C₁-C₄)alkyl, in a numberranging from zero to the total number of open valences on the aromaticring system; and where R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ are preferably independentlyselected from hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substitutedor unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl andsubstituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl. When a compound of theinvention includes more than one R group, for example, each of the Rgroups is independently selected as are each R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ groupswhen more than one of these groups is present. In the schemes thatfollow, the symbol X represents “R” as described above.

Two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl ringmay optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula—T-C(O)—(CRR′)_(q)—U—, wherein T and U are independently —NR—, —O—,—CRR′— or a single bond, and q is an integer of from 0 to 3.Alternatively, two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl orheteroaryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of theformula -A-(CH₂)_(r)—B—, wherein A and B are independently —CRR′—, —O—,—NR—, —S—, —S(O)—, —S(O)₂—, —S(O)₂NR′— or a single bond, and r is aninteger of from 1 to 4. One of the single bonds of the new ring soformed may optionally be replaced with a double bond. Alternatively, twoof the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl ring mayoptionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula—(CRR′)_(s)—X—(CR″R′″)_(d)—, where s and d are independently integers offrom 0 to 3, and X is —O—, —NR′—, —S—, —S(O)—, —S(O)₂—, or —S(O)₂NR′-.The substituents R, R′, R″ and R′″ are preferably independently selectedfrom hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted (C₁-C₆)alkyl.

As used herein, the term “heteroatom” is meant to include oxygen (O),nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and silicon (Si).

Introduction

As described above, Factor IX is vital in the blood coagulation cascade.A deficiency of Factor IX in the body characterizes a type of hemophilia(type B). Treatment of this disease is usually limited to intravenoustransfusion of human plasma protein concentrates of Factor IX. However,in addition to the practical disadvantages of time and expense,transfusion of blood concentrates involves the risk of transmission ofviral hepatitis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome or thromboembolicdiseases to the recipient.

While Factor IX is an important and useful compound for therapeuticapplications, present methods for the production of Factor IX fromrecombinant cells (U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,999) result in a product with arather short biological half-life and an inaccurate glycosylationpattern that could potentially lead to immunogenicity, loss of function,an increased need for both larger and more frequent doses in order toachieve the same effect, and the like.

To improve the effectiveness of recombinant Factor IX used fortherapeutic purposes, the present invention provides conjugates ofglycosylated and unglycosylated Factor IX peptides with polymers, e.g.,PEG (m-PEG), PPG (m-PPG), etc. The conjugates may be additionally oralternatively modified by further conjugation with diverse species suchas therapeutic moieties, diagnostic moieties, targeting moieties and thelike.

The conjugates of the invention are formed by the enzymatic reaction ofa modified sugar with the glycosylated or unglycosylated peptide. Aglycosylation site and/or a glycosyl residue provides a locus forconjugating a sugar bearing a modifying group to the peptide, e.g., byglycoconjugation. An exemplary modifying group is a water-solublepolymer, such as poly(ethylene glycol), e.g., methoxy-poly(ethyleneglycol). Modification of the Factor IX peptides, e.g., with awater-soluble peptide can improve the stability and retention time ofthe recombinant Factor IX in a patient's circulation, and/or reduce theantigenicity of recombinant Factor IX.

The methods of the invention make it possible to assemble peptideconjugates that have a substantially homogeneous derivatization pattern.The enzymes used in the invention are generally selective for aparticular amino acid residue, combination of amino acid residues, orparticular glycosyl residues of the peptide. The methods are alsopractical for large-scale production of modified peptide conjugates.Thus, the methods of the invention provide a practical means forlarge-scale preparation of glycopeptides having preselected uniformderivatization patterns.

The present invention also provides conjugates of glycosylated andunglycosylated peptides with increased therapeutic half-life due to, forexample, reduced clearance rate, or reduced rate of uptake by the immuneor reticuloendothelial system (RES). Moreover, the methods of theinvention provide a means for masking antigenic determinants onpeptides, thus reducing or eliminating a host immune response againstthe peptide. Selective attachment of targeting agents can also be usedto target a peptide to a particular tissue or cell surface receptor thatis specific for the particular targeting agent.

Peptide Conjugates

Conjugates between FIX peptides and water-soluble polymers, e.g., PEG,are known to be significantly less effective in standard coagulationassays than the corresponding unconjugated FIX peptide. Thus, thediscovery that FIX peptides conjugated with a water-soluble polymer havean activity in a coagulation assay that is significantly enhancedrelative to the corresponding unconjugated FIX is an important andsurprising result. The present invention provides FIX conjugates withwater-soluble polymers that exhibit enhanced activity relative to thecorresponding unconjugated FIX peptide in standard coagulation assays.

Thus, in a first aspect, the instant invention provides a conjugatebetween a FIX peptide and a water-soluble polymer that has coagulationactivity that is enhanced relative to that of a FIX peptide that is notconjugated with a water-soluble polymer. In a preferred embodiment, theunconjugated peptide and the peptide of the conjugate have identicalamino acid sequences. In another preferred embodiment, the conjugatedand unconjugated peptide are more than about 90% homologous, preferably,more than about 95% homologous, more preferably, more than about 97%homologous and even more preferably, more than about 99% homologous.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-soluble polymer is a linear orbranched PEG. It is generally preferred that the conjugates include from1 to about 9 PEG moieties per peptide. In a preferred embodiment, thewater-soluble polymer is a linear PEG and the conjugate includesapproximately 6 to 8 PEG moieties per peptide molecule. In anotherpreferred embodiment, the water-soluble polymer is a branched PEG andthe conjugate includes approximately 1 to 5 PEG moieties per peptidemolecule. In yet another preferred embodiment, the water-soluble polymeris a branched PEG and the conjugate includes approximately 2 PEGmoieties per peptide molecule. In yet another preferred embodiment, thewater-soluble polymer is a branched PEG and the conjugate includesapproximately 1 PEG moiety per peptide molecule.

In exemplary embodiments, in which the PEG is a linear species, the PEGmoiety has a molecular weight which is from about 200 D to about 20 kD.In preferred embodiments, in which the PEG moiety is a linear PEGmoiety, the molecular weight of the linear PEG is at least about 200 D,more preferably, at least about 500 D, even more preferably, at leastabout 1 kD, more preferably, at least about 2 kD.

In other exemplary embodiments in which the PEG species is branched, thebranched PEG includes from 2 to 6 linear PEG arms. Exemplary PEG armshave a molecular weight from about 200 D to about 30 kD. In an exemplaryembodiment, the PEG species is branched and has a molecular weight ofabout 40 kD. It is generally preferred that each arm has an individuallyselected molecular weight that is at least about 2 kD, preferably, atleast about 5 kD, more preferably, at least about 10 kD, still morepreferably, at least about 15 kD, and even more preferably about 20 kD.

A preferred PEG species has two PEG arms. A presently preferredembodiment of the two-arm branched structure is based on an amino acid.Preferred amino acids include serine, cysteine and lysine.

In a preferred embodiment, the FIX conjugate of the invention has an invivo coagulation activity that is at least about 15% greater than theactivity of an identical non-conjugated peptide at a 24 hour time pointin an in vivo coagulation assay. Preferred Factor IX conjugates of theinvention exhibit a coagulation activity at a 24 hour time point that isenhanced over the identical nonconjugated peptide by at least about 40%,preferably, at least about 60%, more preferably, at least about 80%,even more preferably, at least about 100%, still more preferably, atleast about 150%, and even more preferably, at least about 200%.

A presently preferred conjugate includes from 1-4 branched PEG moieties,in which the branched PEG is based upon an amino acid (i.e., the PEGarms are covalently linked to an amino acid core). This conjugatepreferably has an activity that is enhanced at a 24 hour time point byat least about 100%, preferably, at least about 120%, more preferably,at least about 140%, still more preferably, at least about 160%, evenmore preferably, at least about 180% and more preferably, at least about200% over the activity of the identical unconjugated FIX peptide in thesame assay. In this embodiment, the branched PEG species have amolecular weight of at least about 15 kD, preferably, at least about 20,kD, and more preferably, at least about 30 kD. A preferred branched PEGspecies has a molecular weight of about 30 kD: even more preferred, thebranched PEG species includes two linear PEG moieties covalentlyattached to an amino acid which is a member selected from lysine, serineand cysteine. Each branched PEG moiety is covalently attached to anamino acid or a glycosyl residue of the Factor IX peptide.

Another preferred conjugate of the invention includes from 5 to 9, morepreferably, from 6 to 8 linear PEG moieties. In this embodiment, the PEGmoieties have a molecular weight that is at least about 500 D,preferably, at least about 1 kD, more preferably, at least about 1.5 kDand, still more preferably, at least about 2 kD. The linear PEG moietiesare covalently conjugated to an amino acid or glycosyl residue of thepeptide. The conjugates according to this embodiment preferably have anactivity enhanced by at least about 15%, preferably, at least about 25%,more preferably, at least about 35%, even more preferably, at leastabout 45%, and still more preferably, at least about 60% relative to anidentical unconjugated FIX peptide in the same assay.

In another preferred embodiment, the branched or linear PEG species iscovalently attached to an amino acid or glycosyl residue of the peptide.The PEG species are preferably attached to a sialic acid moiety of aglycosyl residue. When the PEG species are attached to an amino acid,they are preferably attached through a linker moiety to an amino acidwhich is a member selected from lysine, asparagine, serine andthreonine. A generally preferred linker structure includes at least oneglycosyl moiety. Additional embodiments in which the linking group is aglycosyl residue or includes at least one glycosyl moiety are discussedin detail in the sections that follow.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-soluble polymer is attached to amember selected from Asn 157, Asn 167; Ser 53, Ser 61, Thr 159, Thr 169,and Thr 172 of rhFIX.

The coagulation activities of the conjugated and unconjugated peptidesare readily and routinely measured using art-standard coagulation assaymethods, e.g., a standard mouse tail cut assay, aPTT assay, etc.

In another preferred embodiment, the conjugated FIX peptide has aterminal half life that is at least about 10% greater, preferably, atleast about 30% greater, more preferably, at least about 50% greater,still more preferably, at least about 70% greater, and even morepreferably at least about 100% greater than the terminal half-life ofthe identical unconjugated FIX peptide.

In each of the aspects and embodiments of the invention discussedherein, the Factor IX peptide may have the same sequence as a wild-typeFIX peptide, or it may be a mutant peptide. A peptide conjugate can haveone of several forms. In an exemplary embodiment, a peptide conjugatecan comprise a Factor IX peptide and a modifying group linked to anamino acid of the peptide. In an exemplary embodiment, this modifyinggroup is attached to the Factor IX peptide through a glycosyl linkinggroup.

Thus, in a second aspect, the present invention provides a conjugatebetween a modified sugar and a Factor IX peptide.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl group is an intact glycosyllinking group. In another exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl groupfurther comprises a modifying group. In another exemplary embodiment,the modifying group is a non-glycosidic modifying group. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the modifying group does not include a naturallyoccurring saccharide moiety.

In another exemplary embodiment, the peptide conjugate can comprise aFactor IX peptide and a glycosyl linking group which is bound to both aglycopeptide carbohydrate and directly to an amino acid residue of thepeptide backbone. In yet another exemplary embodiment, a peptideconjugate can comprise a Factor IX peptide and a modifying group linkeddirectly to an amino acid residue of the peptide. In this embodiment,the peptide conjugate may not comprise a glycosyl group. In any of theseembodiments, the Factor IX peptide may or not be glycosylated. Thepresent invention also encompasses a method for the modification of theglycan structure on Factor IX, providing a conjugate between Factor IXand a modifying group.

The conjugates of the invention will typically correspond to the generalstructure:

in which the symbols a, b, c, d and s represent a positive, non-zerointeger; and t is either 0 or a positive integer. The “agent” is atherapeutic agent, a bioactive agent, a detectable label, water-solublemoiety (e.g., PEG, m-PEG, PPG, and m-PPG) or the like. The “agent” canbe a peptide, e.g., enzyme, antibody, antigen, etc. The linker can beany of a wide array of linking groups, infra. Alternatively, the linkermay be a single bond or a “zero order linker.”

Factor IX Peptide

Factor IX has been cloned and sequenced. Essentially any Factor IXpeptide having any sequence is of use as the Factor IX peptide componentof the conjugates of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment,the peptide has the sequence presented herein as SEQ ID NO:1:

YNSGKLEEFVQGNLERECMEEKCSFEEAREVFENTERTTEFWKQYVDGDQCESNPCLNGGSCKDDINSYECWCPFGFEGKNCELDVTCNIKNGRCEQFCKNSADNKVVCSCTEGYRLAENQKSCEPAVPFPCGRVSVSQTSKLTRAEAVFPDVDYVNSTEAETILDNITQSTQSFNDFTRVVGGEDAKPGQFPWQVVLNGKVDAFCGGSIVNEKWIVTAAHCVETGVKITVVAGEHNIEETEHTEQKRNVIRIIPHHNYNAAINKYNHDIALLELDEPLVLNSYVTPICIADKEYTNIFLKFGSGYVSGWGRVFHKGRSALVLQYLRVPLVDRATCLRSTKFTIYNNMFCAGFHEGGRDSCQGDSGGPHVTEVEGTSFLTGIISWGEECAMKGKYGIYTK VSRYVNWIKEKTKLT.

The present invention is in no way limited to the sequence set forthherein. Factor IX variants are well known in the art, as described in,for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,770,999, 5,521,070 in which a tyrosine isreplaced by an alanine in the first position, U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,452,in which Factor IX is linked to an alkylene oxide group, and U.S. Pat.No. 6,046,380, in which the DNA encoding Factor IX is modified in atleast one splice site. As demonstrated herein, variants of Factor IX arewell known in the art, and the present disclosure encompasses thosevariants known or to be developed or discovered in the future.

Methods for determining the activity of a mutant or modified Factor IXcan be carried out using the methods described in the art, such as a onestage activated partial thromboplastin time assay as described in, forexample, Biggs, Human Blood Coagulation Haemostasis and Thrombosis (Ed.1), Oxford, Blackwell, Scientific, pg. 614 (1972). Briefly, to assay thebiological activity of a Factor IX molecule developed according to themethods of the present invention, the assay can be performed with equalvolumes of activated partial thromboplastin reagent, Factor IX deficientplasma isolated from a patient with hemophilia B using sterilephlebotomy techniques well known in the art,—and normal pooled plasma asstandard, or the sample. In this assay, one unit of activity is definedas that amount present in one milliliter of normal pooled plasma.Further, an assay for biological activity based on the ability of FactorIX to reduce the clotting time of plasma from Factor IX-deficientpatients to normal can be performed as described in, for example,Proctor and Rapaport (Amer. J. Clin. Path. 36: 212 (1961).

The peptides of the invention include at least one N-linked or O-linkedglycosylation site, at least one of which is conjugated to a glycosylresidue that includes a polymeric modifying moiety, e.g., a PEG moiety.In an exemplary embodiment, the PEG is covalently attached to thepeptide via an intact glycosyl linking group. The glycosyl linking groupis covalently attached to either an amino acid residue or a glycosylresidue of the peptide. Alternatively, the glycosyl linking group isattached to one or more glycosyl units of a glycopeptide. The inventionalso provides conjugates in which the glycosyl linking group is attachedto both an amino acid residue and a glycosyl residue.

Preferably, neither the amino nor the carboxy terminus of the Factor IXpeptide is derivatized with a polymeric modifying moiety.

Modified Sugar

In an exemplary embodiment, the peptides of the invention are reactedwith a modified sugar, thus forming a peptide conjugate. A modifiedsugar comprises a “sugar donor moiety” as well as a “sugar transfermoiety”. The sugar donor moiety is any portion of the modified sugarthat will be attached to the peptide, either through a glycosyl moietyor amino acid moiety, as a conjugate of the invention. The sugar donormoiety includes those atoms that are chemically altered during theirconversion from the modified sugar to the glycosyl linking group of thepeptide conjugate. The sugar transfer moiety is any portion of themodified sugar that will be not be attached to the peptide as aconjugate of the invention. For example, a modified sugar of theinvention is the PEGylated sugar nucleotide, CMP-SA-PEG. For CMP-SA-PEG,the sugar donor moiety, or PEG-sialyl donor moiety, comprises PEG-sialicacid while the sugar transfer moiety, or sialyl transfer moiety,comprises CMP.

In modified sugars of use in the invention, the saccharyl moiety ispreferably a saccharide, a deoxy-saccharide, an amino-saccharide, or anN-acyl saccharide. The term “saccharide” and its equivalents,“saccharyl,” “sugar,” and “glycosyl” refer to monomers, dimers,oligomers and polymers. The sugar moiety is also functionalized with amodifying group. The modifying group is conjugated to the saccharylmoiety, typically, through conjugation with an amine, sulfhydryl orhydroxyl, e.g., primary hydroxyl, moiety on the sugar. In an exemplaryembodiment, the modifying group is attached through an amine moiety onthe sugar, e.g., through an amide, a urethane or a urea that is formedthrough the reaction of the amine with a reactive derivative of themodifying group.

Any saccharyl moiety can be utilized as the sugar donor moiety of themodified sugar. The saccharyl moiety can be a known sugar, such asmannose, galactose or glucose, or a species having the stereochemistryof a known sugar. The general formulae of these modified sugars are:

Other saccharyl moieties that are useful in forming the compositions ofthe invention include, but are not limited to fucose and sialic acid, aswell as amino sugars such as glucosamine, galactosamine, mannosamine,the 5-amine analogue of sialic acid and the like. The saccharyl moietycan be a structure found in nature or it can be modified to provide asite for conjugating the modifying group. For example, in oneembodiment, the modified sugar provides a sialic acid derivative inwhich the 9-hydroxy moiety is replaced with an amine. The amine isreadily derivatized with an activated analogue of a selected modifyinggroup.

Examples of modified sugars of use in the invention are described in PCTPatent Application No. PCT/US05/002522, which is herein incorporated byreference.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the invention utilizes modifiedsugars in which the 6-hydroxyl position is converted to thecorresponding amine moiety, which bears a linker-modifying groupcassette such as those set forth above. Exemplary glycosyl groups thatcan be used as the core of these modified sugars include Gal, GalNAc,Glc, GlcNAc, Fuc, Xyl, Man, and the like. A representative modifiedsugar according to this embodiment has the formula:

in which R¹¹-R¹⁴ are members independently selected from H, OH, C(O)CH₃,NH, and NH C(O)CH₃. R¹⁰ is a link to another glycosyl residue(—O-glycosyl) or to an amino acid of the Factor IX and/or Factor IXpeptide (—NH-(Factor IX and/or Factor IX)). R¹⁴ is OR¹, NHR¹ or NH-L-R¹.R¹ and NH-L-R¹ are as described above.

Glycosyl Linking Groups

In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a peptide conjugateformed between a modified sugar of the invention and a Factor IXpeptide. In this embodiment, the sugar donor moiety (such as thesaccharyl moiety and the modifying group) of the modified sugar becomesa “glycosyl linking group”. The “glycosyl linking group” canalternatively refer to the glycosyl moiety which is interposed betweenthe peptide and the modifying group.

Due to the versatility of the methods available for adding and/ormodifying glycosyl residues on a peptide, the glycosyl linking groupscan have substantially any structure. In the discussion that follows,the invention is illustrated by reference to the use of selectedderivatives of furanose and pyranose. Those of skill in the art willrecognize that the focus of the discussion is for clarity ofillustration and that the structures and compositions set forth aregenerally applicable across the genus of glycosyl linking groups andmodified sugars. The glycosyl linking group can comprise virtually anymono- or oligo-saccharide. The glycosyl linking groups can be attachedto an amino acid either through the side chain or through the peptidebackbone. Alternatively the glycosyl linking groups can be attached tothe peptide through a saccharyl moiety. This saccharyl moiety can be aportion of an O-linked or N-linked glycan structure on the Factor IXpeptide.

In an exemplary embodiment, the invention utilizes a glycosyl linkinggroup that has the formula:

in which J is a glycosyl moiety, L is a bond or a linker and R¹ is amodifying group, e.g., a polymeric modifying group. Exemplary bonds arethose that are formed between an NH₂ moiety on the glycosyl moiety and agroup of complementary reactivity on the modifying group. For example,when R¹ includes a carboxylic acid moiety, this moiety may be activatedand coupled with the NH₂ moiety on the glycosyl residue affording a bondhaving the structure NHC(O)R¹. J is preferably a glycosyl moiety that is“intact”, not having been degraded by exposure to conditions that cleavethe pyranose or furanose structure, e.g. oxidative conditions, e.g.,sodium periodate.

Exemplary linkers include alkyl and heteroalkyl moieties. The linkersinclude linking groups, for example acyl-based linking groups, e.g.,—C(O)NH—, —OC(O)NH—, and the like. The linking groups are bonds formedbetween components of the species of the invention, e.g., between theglycosyl moiety and the linker (L), or between the linker and themodifying group (R¹). Other exemplary linking groups are ethers,thioethers and amines For example, in one embodiment, the linker is anamino acid residue, such as a glycine residue. The carboxylic acidmoiety of the glycine is converted to the corresponding amide byreaction with an amine on the glycosyl residue, and the amine of theglycine is converted to the corresponding amide or urethane by reactionwith an activated carboxylic acid or carbonate of the modifying group.

An exemplary species of NH-L-R¹ has the formula:—NH{C(O)(CH₂)_(a)NH}_(s){C(O)(CH₂)_(b)(OCH₂CH₂)_(n)—O—(CH₂)_(d)NH}_(t)R¹,in which the indices s and t are independently 0 or 1. The indices a, band d are independently integers from 0 to 20, and c is an integer from1 to 2500. Other similar linkers are based on species in which an —NHmoiety is replaced by another group, for example, —S, —O or —CH₂. Asthose of skill will appreciate one or more of the bracketed moietiescorresponding to indices s and t can be replaced with a substituted orunsubstituted alkyl or heteroalkyl moiety.

More particularly, the invention utilizes compounds in which NH-L-R¹ is:NHC(O)(CH₂)_(a)NHC(O)(CH₂)_(b)(OCH₂CH₂)_(c)O (CH₂)_(d)NHR¹,NHC(O)(CH₂)_(b)(OCH₂CH₂)_(c)O(CH₂)_(d)NHR¹,NHC(O)O(CH₂)_(b)(OCH₂CH₂)_(c)O(CH₂)_(d)NHR¹,NH(CH₂)_(a)NHC(O)(CH₂)_(b)(OCH₂CH₂)_(c)O(CH₂)_(d)NHR¹,NHC(O)(CH₂)_(a)NHR¹, NH(CH₂)_(a)NHR¹, and NHR¹. In these formulae, theindices a, b and d are independently selected from the integers from 0to 20, preferably from 1 to 5. The index c is an integer from 1 to about2500.

In an exemplary embodiment, c is selected such that the PEG moiety isapproximately 1 kD, 5 kD, 10, kD, 15 kD, 20 kD, 25 kD, 30 kD, 35 kD, 40kD, 45 kD, 50 kD, 55 kD, 60 kD or 65 kD.

For the purposes of convenience, the glycosyl linking groups in theremainder of this section will be based on a sialyl moiety. However, oneof skill in the art will recognize that another glycosyl moiety, such asmannosyl, galactosyl, glucosyl, or fucosyl, could be used in place ofthe sialyl moiety.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group is an intactglycosyl linking group, in which the glycosyl moiety or moieties formingthe linking group are not degraded by chemical (e.g., sodiummetaperiodate) or enzymatic (e.g., oxidase) processes. Selectedconjugates of the invention include a modifying group that is attachedto the amine moiety of an amino-saccharide, e.g., mannosamine,glucosamine, galactosamine, sialic acid etc. In an exemplary embodiment,the invention provides a peptide conjugate comprising an intact glycosyllinking group having a formula that is selected from:

In Formulae I R² is H, CH₂OR⁷, COOR⁷ or OR⁷, in which R⁷ represents H,substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl. When COOR² is a carboxylic acid or carboxylate, both formsare represented by the designation of the single structure COO⁻ or COOH.In Formulae I and II, the symbols R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ and R^(6′)independently represent H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, OR⁸,NHC(O)R⁹. The index d is 0 or 1. R⁸ and R⁹ are independently selectedfrom H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl, sialic acid or polysialic acid. At least one of R³, R⁴, R⁵,R⁶ or R^(6′) includes a modifying group. This modifying group can be apolymeric modifying moiety e.g., PEG, linked through a bond or a linkinggroup. In an exemplary embodiment, R⁶ and R^(6′), together with thecarbon to which they are attached are components of the pyruvyl sidechain of sialic acid. In a further exemplary embodiment, the pyruvylside chain is functionalized with the polymeric modifying group. Inanother exemplary embodiment, R⁶ and R^(6′), together with the carbon towhich they are attached are components of the side chain of sialic acidand the polymeric modifying group is a component of R⁵.

Exemplary modifying group-intact glycosyl linking group cassettesaccording to this motif are based on a sialic acid structure, such asthose having the formulae:

In the formulae above, R¹ and L are as described above. Further detailabout the structure of exemplary R¹ groups is provided below.

In still a further exemplary embodiment, the conjugate is formed betweena peptide and a modified sugar in which the modifying group is attachedthrough a linker at the 6-carbon position of the modified sugar. Thus,illustrative glycosyl linking groups according to this embodiment havethe formula:

in which the radicals are as discussed above. Glycosyl linking groupsinclude, without limitation, glucose, glucosamine, N-acetyl-glucosamine,galactose, galactosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine, mannose, mannosamine,N-acetyl-mannosamine, and the like.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a peptide conjugatecomprising the following glycosyl linking group:

wherein D is a member selected from —OH and R¹-L-HN—; G is a memberselected from H and R¹-L- and —C(O)(C₁-C₆)alkyl; R¹ is a moietycomprising a straight-chain or branched poly(ethylene glycol) residue;and L is a linker, e.g., a bond (“zero order”), substituted orunsubstituted alkyl and substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl. Inexemplary embodiments, when D is OH, G is R¹-L-, and when G is—C(O)(C₁-C₆)alkyl, D is R¹-L-NH—.

The invention provides a peptide conjugate that includes a glycosyllinking group having the formula:

In other embodiments, the glycosyl linking group has the formula:

in which the index t is 0 or 1.

In a still further exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group hasthe formula:

in which the index t is 0 or 1.

In yet another embodiment, the glycosyl linking group has the formula:

in which the index p represents and integer from 1 to 10; and a iseither 0 or 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, a glycoPEGylated peptide conjugate of theinvention selected from the formulae set forth below:

In the formulae above, the index t is an integer from 0 to 1 and theindex p is an integer from 1 to 10. The symbol R^(15′) represents H, OH(e.g., Gal-OH), a sialyl moiety, a sialyl linking group (i.e., sialyllinking group-polymeric modifying group (Sia-L-R¹), or a sialyl moietyto which is bound a polymer modified sialyl moiety (e.g., Sia-Sia-L-R¹)(“Sia-Sia^(p)”)). Exemplary polymer modified saccharyl moieties have astructure according to Formulae I and II. An exemplary peptide conjugateof the invention will include at least one glycan having a R^(15′) thatincludes a structure according to Formulae I or II. The oxygen, with theopen valence, of Formulae I and II is preferably attached through aglycosidic linkage to a carbon of a Gal or GalNAc moiety. In a furtherexemplary embodiment, the oxygen is attached to the carbon at position 3of a galactose residue. In an exemplary embodiment, the modified sialicacid is linked α2,3- to the galactose residue. In another exemplaryembodiment, the sialic acid is linked α2,6- to the galactose residue.

In an exemplary embodiment, the sialyl linking group is a sialyl moietyto which is bound a polymer modified sialyl moiety (e.g., Sia-Sia-L-R¹)(“Sia-Sia^(p)”). Here, the glycosyl linking group is linked to agalactosyl moiety through a sialyl moiety:

An exemplary species according to this motif is prepared by conjugatingSia-L-R¹ to a terminal sialic acid of a glycan using an enzyme thatforms Sia-Sia bonds, e.g., CST-II, ST8Sia-II, ST8Sia-III and ST8Sia-IV.

In another exemplary embodiment, the glycans on the peptide conjugateshave a formula that is selected from the group:

and combinations thereof.

In each of the formulae above, R^(15′) is as discussed above. Moreover,an exemplary peptide conjugate of the invention will include at leastone glycan with an R¹⁵ moiety having a structure according to Formulae Ior II.

In another exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group comprises atleast one glycosyl linking group having the formula:

wherein R¹⁵ is said sialyl linking group; and the index p is an integerselected from 1 to 10.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking moiety has the formula:

in which b is an integer from 0 to 1. The index s represents an integerfrom 1 to 10; and the index f represents an integer from 1 to 2500.

In an exemplary embodiment, the polymeric modifying group is PEG. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the PEG moiety has a molecular weight ofabout 20 kDa. In another exemplary embodiment, the PEG moiety has amolecular weight of about 5 kDa. In another exemplary embodiment, thePEG moiety has a molecular weight of about 10 kDa. In another exemplaryembodiment, the PEG moiety has a molecular weight of about 40 kDa.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group is a linear 10kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one or two of these glycosyl linking groups arecovalently attached to the peptide. In an exemplary embodiment, theglycosyl linking group is a branched 10 kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one or twoof these glycosyl linking groups are covalently attached to the peptide.In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group is a linear 20kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one or two of these glycosyl linking groups arecovalently attached to the peptide. In an exemplary embodiment, theglycosyl linking group is a branched 20 kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one or twoof these glycosyl linking groups are covalently attached to the peptide.In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group is a linear 5kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one, two or three of these glycosyl linking groupsare covalently attached to the peptide. In an exemplary embodiment, theglycosyl linking group is a branched 5 kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one, two orthree of these glycosyl linking groups are covalently attached to thepeptide. In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group is alinear 40 kDa-PEG-sialyl, and one or two of these glycosyl linkinggroups are covalently attached to the peptide. In an exemplaryembodiment, the glycosyl linking group is a branched 40 kDa-PEG-sialyl,and one or two of these glycosyl linking groups are covalently attachedto the peptide.

Modifying Groups

The peptide conjugates of the invention comprise a modifying group. Thisgroup can be covalently attached to a FGF peptide through an amino acidor a glycosyl linking group. “Modifying groups” can encompass a varietyof structures including targeting moieties, therapeutic moieties,biomolecules. Additionally, “modifying groups” include polymericmodifying groups, which are polymers which can alter a property of thepeptide such as its bioavailability or its half-life in the body.

In an exemplary embodiment, the modifying group is a targeting agentthat localizes selectively in a particular tissue due to the presence ofa targeting agent as a component of the conjugate. In an exemplaryembodiment, the targeting agent is a protein. Exemplary proteins includetransferrin (brain, blood pool), HS-glycoprotein (bone, brain, bloodpool), antibodies (brain, tissue with antibody-specific antigen, bloodpool), coagulation factors V-XII (damaged tissue, clots, cancer, bloodpool), serum proteins, e.g., α-acid glycoprotein, fetuin, α-fetalprotein (brain, blood pool), 132-glycoprotein (liver, atherosclerosisplaques, brain, blood pool), G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, and EPO (immunestimulation, cancers, blood pool, red blood cell overproduction,neuroprotection), albumin (increase in half-life), and lipoprotein E.

For the purposes of convenience, the modifying groups in the remainderof this section will be largely based on polymeric modifying groups suchas water soluble and water insoluble polymers. However, one of skill inthe art will recognize that other modifying groups, such as targetingmoieties, therapeutic moieties and biomolecules, could be used in placeof the polymeric modifying groups.

Linkers of the Modifying Groups

The linkers of the modifying group serve to attach the modifying group(ie polymeric modifying groups, targeting moieties, therapeutic moietiesand biomolecules) to the peptide. In an exemplary embodiment, thepolymeric modifying group is bound to a glycosyl linking group,generally through a heteroatom, e.g, nitrogen, on the core through alinker, L, as shown below:

R¹ is the polymeric moiety and L is selected from a bond and a linkinggroup. The index w represents an integer selected from 1-6, preferably1-3 and more preferably 1-2. Exemplary linking groups includesubstituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl moieties and sialic acid. An exemplary component of thelinker is an acyl moiety.

An exemplary compound according to the invention has a structureaccording to Formulae I or II above, in which at least one of R², R³,R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ or R^(6′) has the formula:

In another example according to this embodiment at least one of R², R³,R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ or R^(6′) has the formula:

in which s is an integer from 0 to 20 and R¹ is a linear polymericmodifying moiety.

In an exemplary embodiment, the polymeric modifying group-linkerconstruct is a branched structure that includes two or more polymericchains attached to central moiety. In this embodiment, the construct hasthe formula:

in which R¹ and L are as discussed above and w′ is an integer from 2 to6, preferably from 2 to 4 and more preferably from 2 to 3.

When L is a bond it is formed between a reactive functional group on aprecursor of R¹ and a reactive functional group of complementaryreactivity on the saccharyl core. When L is a non-zero order linker, aprecursor of L can be in place on the glycosyl moiety prior to reactionwith the R¹ precursor. Alternatively, the precursors of R¹ and L can beincorporated into a preformed cassette that is subsequently attached tothe glycosyl moiety. As set forth herein, the selection and preparationof precursors with appropriate reactive functional groups is within theability of those skilled in the art. Moreover, coupling the precursorsproceeds by chemistry that is well understood in the art.

In an exemplary embodiment, L is a linking group that is formed from anamino acid, or small peptide (e.g., 1-4 amino acid residues) providing amodified sugar in which the polymeric modifying group is attachedthrough a substituted alkyl linker. Exemplary linkers include glycine,lysine, serine and cysteine. The PEG moiety can be attached to the aminemoiety of the linker through an amide or urethane bond. The PEG islinked to the sulfur or oxygen atoms of cysteine and serine throughthioether or ether bonds, respectively.

In an exemplary embodiment, R⁵ includes the polymeric modifying group.In another exemplary embodiment, R⁵ includes both the polymericmodifying group and a linker, L, joining the modifying group to theremainder of the molecule. As discussed above, L can be a linear orbranched structure. Similarly, the polymeric modifying group can bebranched or linear.

Water-Soluble Polymers

Many water-soluble polymers are known to those of skill in the art andare useful in practicing the present invention. The term water-solublepolymer encompasses species such as saccharides (e.g., dextran, amylose,hyalouronic acid, poly(sialic acid), heparans, heparins, etc.);poly(amino acids), e.g., poly(aspartic acid) and poly(glutamic acid);nucleic acids; synthetic polymers (e.g., poly(acrylic acid),poly(ethers), e.g., poly(ethylene glycol)); peptides, proteins, and thelike. The present invention may be practiced with any water-solublepolymer with the sole limitation that the polymer must include a pointat which the remainder of the conjugate can be attached.

Methods for activation of polymers can also be found in WO 94/17039,U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,844, WO 94/18247, WO 94/04193, U.S. Pat. No.5,219,564, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,614, WO 90/13540, U.S. Pat. No.5,281,698, and more WO 93/15189, and for conjugation between activatedpolymers and peptides, e.g. Coagulation Factor VIII (WO 94/15625),hemoglobin (WO 94/09027), oxygen carrying molecule (U.S. Pat. No.4,412,989), ribonuclease and superoxide dismutase (Veronese at al., App.Biochem. Biotech. 11: 141-45 (1985)).

Exemplary water-soluble polymers are those in which a substantialproportion of the polymer molecules in a sample of the polymer are ofapproximately the same molecular weight; such polymers are“homodisperse.”

The present invention is further illustrated by reference to apoly(ethylene glycol) conjugate. Several reviews and monographs on thefunctionalization and conjugation of PEG are available. See, forexample, Harris, Macronol. Chem. Phys. C25: 325-373 (1985); Scouten,Methods in Enzymology 135: 30-65 (1987); Wong et al., Enzyme Microb.Technol. 14: 866-874 (1992); Delgado et al., Critical Reviews inTherapeutic Drug Carrier Systems 9: 249-304 (1992); Zalipsky,Bioconjugate Chem. 6: 150-165 (1995); and Bhadra, et al., Pharmazie,57:5-29 (2002). Routes for preparing reactive PEG molecules and formingconjugates using the reactive molecules are known in the art. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,662 discloses a water soluble andisolatable conjugate of an active ester of a polymer acid selected fromlinear or branched poly(alkylene oxides), poly(oxyethylated polyols),poly(olefinic alcohols), and poly(acrylomorpholine).

U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,604 sets forth a method for preparing awater-soluble 1-benzotriazolylcarbonate ester of a water-soluble andnon-peptidic polymer by reacting a terminal hydroxyl of the polymer withdi(1-benzotriazoyl)carbonate in an organic solvent. The active ester isused to form conjugates with a biologically active agent such as aprotein or peptide.

WO 99/45964 describes a conjugate comprising a biologically active agentand an activated water soluble polymer comprising a polymer backbonehaving at least one terminus linked to the polymer backbone through astable linkage, wherein at least one terminus comprises a branchingmoiety having proximal reactive groups linked to the branching moiety,in which the biologically active agent is linked to at least one of theproximal reactive groups. Other branched poly(ethylene glycols) aredescribed in WO 96/21469, U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,462 describes a conjugateformed with a branched PEG molecule that includes a branched terminusthat includes reactive functional groups. The free reactive groups areavailable to react with a biologically active species, such as a proteinor peptide, forming conjugates between the poly(ethylene glycol) and thebiologically active species. U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,090 describes abifunctional PEG linker and its use in forming conjugates having apeptide at each of the PEG linker termini.

Conjugates that include degradable PEG linkages are described in WO99/34833; and WO 99/14259, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,558. Suchdegradable linkages are applicable in the present invention.

The art-recognized methods of polymer activation set forth above are ofuse in the context of the present invention in the formation of thebranched polymers set forth herein and also for the conjugation of thesebranched polymers to other species, e.g., sugars, sugar nucleotides andthe like.

An exemplary water-soluble polymer is poly(ethylene glycol), e.g.,methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol). The poly(ethylene glycol) used in thepresent invention is not restricted to any particular form or molecularweight range. For unbranched poly(ethylene glycol) molecules themolecular weight is preferably between 500 and 100,000. A molecularweight of 2000-60,000 is preferably used and preferably of from about5,000 to about 40,000.

In other exemplary embodiments, the poly(ethylene glycol) molecule isselected from the following:

In another embodiment the poly(ethylene glycol) is a branched PEG havingmore than one PEG moiety attached. Examples of branched PEGs aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,462; U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,940; U.S. Pat.No. 5,643,575; U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,455; U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,906; U.S.Pat. No. 5,183,660; WO 02/09766; Kodera Y., Bioconjugate Chemistry 5:283-288 (1994); and Yamasaki et al., Agric. Biol. Chem., 52: 2125-2127,1998. In a preferred embodiment the molecular weight of eachpoly(ethylene glycol) of the branched PEG is less than or equal to40,000 daltons.

Representative polymeric modifying moieties include structures that arebased on side chain-containing amino acids, e.g., serine, cysteine,lysine, and small peptides, e.g., lys-lys. Exemplary structures include:

Those of skill will appreciate that the free amine in the di-lysinestructures can also be pegylated through an amide or urethane bond witha PEG moiety.

In yet another embodiment, the polymeric modifying moiety is a branchedPEG moiety that is based upon a tri-lysine peptide. The tri-lysine canbe mono-, di-, tri-, or tetra-PEG-ylated. Exemplary species according tothis embodiment have the formulae:

in which the indices e, f and f are independently selected integers from1 to 2500; and the indices q, q′ and q″ are independently selectedintegers from 1 to 20.

As will be apparent to those of skill, the branched polymers of use inthe invention include variations on the themes set forth above. Forexample the di-lysine-PEG conjugate shown above can include threepolymeric subunits, the third bonded to the α-amine shown as unmodifiedin the structure above. Similarly, the use of a tri-lysinefunctionalized with three or four polymeric subunits labeled with thepolymeric modifying moiety in a desired manner is within the scope ofthe invention.

As discussed herein, the PEG of use in the conjugates of the inventioncan be linear or branched. An exemplary precursor of use to form thebranched PEG containing peptide conjugates according to this embodimentof the invention has the formula:

Another exemplary precursor of use to form the branched PEG containingpeptide conjugates according to this embodiment of the invention has theformula:

in which the indices m and n are integers independently selected from 0to 5000. A¹, A², A³, A⁴, A⁵, A⁶, A⁷, A⁸, A⁹, A¹⁰ and A¹¹ are membersindependently selected from H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl,substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedcycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, substitutedor unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl,—NA¹²A¹³, —OA¹² and —SiA¹², A¹³. A¹² and A¹³ are members independentlyselected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl,substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, substituted orunsubstituted aryl, and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl.

The branched polymer species according to this formula are essentiallypure water-soluble polymers. X^(3′) is a moiety that includes anionizable (e.g., OH, COOH, H₂PO₄, HSO₃, NH₂, and salts thereof, etc.) orother reactive functional group, e.g., infra. C is carbon. X⁵, R¹⁶ andR¹⁷ are independently selected from non-reactive groups (e.g., H,unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted heteroalkyl) and polymeric arms(e.g., PEG). X² and X⁴ are linkage fragments that are preferablyessentially non-reactive under physiological conditions, which may bethe same or different. An exemplary linker includes neither aromatic norester moieties. Alternatively, these linkages can include one or moremoiety that is designed to degrade under physiologically relevantconditions, e.g., esters, disulfides, etc. X² and X⁴ join polymeric armsR¹⁶ and R¹⁷ to C. When X^(3′) is reacted with a reactive functionalgroup of complementary reactivity on a linker, sugar or linker-sugarcassette, X^(3′) is converted to a component of linkage fragment X³.

Exemplary linkage fragments for X², X³ and X⁴ are independently selectedand include a bond, S, SC(O)NH, HNC(O)S, SC(O)O, O, NH, NHC(O), (O)CNHand NHC(O)O, and OC(O)NH, CH₂, CH₂S, CH₂O, CH₂CH₂O, CH₂OC(O)NH, CH₂CH₂S,(CH₂)_(o)O, (CH₂)_(o)S or (CH₂)_(o)Y′-PEG wherein, Y′ is S, NH, NHC(O),C(O)NH, NHC(O)O, OC(O)NH, or O and o is an integer from 1 to 50. In anexemplary embodiment, the linkage fragments X² and X⁴ are differentlinkage fragments.

For example, in one embodiment, X² is CH₂, X³ is CH₂OC(O)NH, X⁴ is abond, X⁵ is H, and R¹⁶ and R¹⁷ are polymeric arms (e.g., PEG).

Utilizing a branched PEG precursor described above, the branched PEGcontaining peptide conjugates according to this embodiment of theinvention has the formula:

In an exemplary embodiment, A¹ and A² are each members selected from —OHand —OCH₃; m and n are each independently selected from an integerranging from 1 to 2500; and L^(a) comprises OC(O)NHCH₂C(O)NH.

Exemplary polymeric modifying groups according to this embodimentinclude:

In an exemplary embodiment, the precursor (Formula III), or an activatedderivative thereof, is reacted with, and thereby bound to a sugar, anactivated sugar or a sugar nucleotide through a reaction between X^(3′)and a group of complementary reactivity on the sugar moiety, e.g., anamine Alternatively, X^(3′) reacts with a reactive functional group on aprecursor to linker, L. One or more of R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶ or R^(6′) ofFormulae I and II can include the branched polymeric modifying moiety,or this moiety bound through L.

In an exemplary embodiment, the moiety:

is the linker arm, L. In this embodiment, an exemplary linker is derivedfrom a natural or unnatural amino acid, amino acid analogue or aminoacid mimetic, or a small peptide formed from one or more such species.For example, certain branched polymers found in the compounds of theinvention have the formula:

X^(a) is a linkage fragment that is formed by the reaction of a reactivefunctional group, e.g., X^(3′), on a precursor of the branched polymericmodifying moiety and a reactive functional group on the sugar moiety, ora precursor to a linker. For example, when X^(3′) is a carboxylic acid,it can be activated and bound directly to an amine group pendent from anamino-saccharide (e.g., Sia, GalNH₂, GlcNH₂, ManNH₂, etc.), forming aX^(a) that is an amide. Additional exemplary reactive functional groupsand activated precursors are described hereinbelow. The index crepresents an integer from 1 to 10. The other symbols have the sameidentity as those discussed above.

In another exemplary embodiment, X^(a) is a linking moiety formed withanother linker:

in which X^(b) is a second linkage fragment and is independentlyselected from those groups set forth for X^(a), and, similar to L, L¹ isa bond, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl.

Exemplary species for X^(a) and X^(b) include S, SC(O)NH, HNC(O)S,SC(O)O, O, NH, NHC(O), C(O)NH and NHC(O)O, and OC(O)NH.

In another exemplary embodiment, X⁴ is a peptide bond to R¹⁷, which isan amino acid, di-peptide (e.g., Lys-Lys) or tri-peptide (e.g.,Lys-Lys-Lys) in which the alpha-amine moiety(ies) and/or side chainheteroatom(s) are modified with a polymeric modifying moiety.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the peptide conjugates of theinvention include a moiety, e.g., an R¹⁵ moiety that has a formula thatis selected from:

in which the identity of the radicals represented by the various symbolsis the same as that discussed hereinabove. L^(a) is a bond or a linkeras discussed above for L and L¹, e.g., substituted or unsubstitutedalkyl or substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl moiety. In anexemplary embodiment, L^(a) is a moiety of the side chain of sialic acidthat is functionalized with the polymeric modifying moiety as shown.Exemplary L^(a) moieties include substituted or unsubstituted alkylchains that include one or more OH or NH₂.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the invention provides peptideconjugates having a moiety, e.g., an R¹⁵ moiety with formula:

The identity of the radicals represented by the various symbols is thesame as that discussed hereinabove. As those of skill will appreciate,the linker arm in Formulae VII and VIII is equally applicable to othermodified sugars set forth herein. In exemplary embodiment, the speciesof Formulae VII and VIII are the R¹⁵ moieties attached to the glycanstructures set forth herein.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the Factor IX peptide conjugateincludes a R¹⁵ moiety with a formula which is a member selected from:

in which the identities of the radicals are as discussed above. Anexemplary species for L^(a) is —(CH₂)_(j)C(O)NH(CH₂)_(h)C(O)NH—, inwhich the indices h and j are independently selected integers from 0 to10. A further exemplary species is —C(O)NH—. The indices m and n areintegers independently selected from 0 to 5000. A¹, A², A³, A⁴, A⁵, A⁶,A⁷, A⁸, A⁹, A¹⁰ and A¹¹ are members independently selected from H,substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted orunsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl,substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, —NA¹²A¹³, —OA¹² and —SiA¹²A¹²and A¹³ are members independently selected from substituted orunsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl,substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedheterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, and substituted orunsubstituted heteroaryl.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosyl linking group has a structureaccording to the following formula:

The embodiments of the invention set forth above are further exemplifiedby reference to species in which the polymer is a water-soluble polymer,particularly poly(ethylene glycol) (“PEG”), e.g., methoxy-poly(ethyleneglycol). Those of skill will appreciate that the focus in the sectionsthat follow is for clarity of illustration and the various motifs setforth using PEG as an exemplary polymer are equally applicable tospecies in which a polymer other than PEG is utilized.

PEG of any molecular weight, e.g., 1 kDa, 2 kDa, 5 kDa, 10 kDa, 15 kDa,20 kDa, 25 kDa, 30 kDa, 35 kDa, 40 kDa and 45 kDa is of use in thepresent invention.

In an exemplary embodiment, the R¹⁵ moiety has a formula that is amember selected from the group:

In each of the structures above, the linker fragment NH(CH₂)_(a) can bepresent or absent.

In other exemplary embodiments, the peptide conjugate includes an R¹⁵moiety selected from the group:

In each of the formulae above, the indices e and f are independentlyselected from the integers from 1 to 2500. In further exemplaryembodiments, e and f are selected to provide a PEG moiety that is about1 kDa, 2 kDa, 5 kDa, 10 kDa, 15 kDa, 20 kDa, 25 kDa, 30 kDa, 35 kDa, 40kDa and 45 kDa. The symbol Q represents substituted or unsubstitutedalkyl (e.g., C₁-C₆ alkyl, e.g., methyl), substituted or unsubstitutedheteroalkyl or H.

Other branched polymers have structures based on di-lysine (Lys-Lys)peptides, e.g.:

and tri-lysine peptides (Lys-Lys-Lys), e.g.:

In each of the figures above, the indices e, f, f′ and f′ representintegers independently selected from 1 to 2500. The indices q, q′ and q″represent integers independently selected from 1 to 20.

In another exemplary embodiment, the modifying group:

has a formula that is a member selected from:

wherein Q is a member selected from H and substituted or unsubstitutedC₁-C₆ alkyl. The indices e and f are integers independently selectedfrom 1 to 2500, and the index q is an integer selected from 0 to 20.

In another exemplary embodiment, the modifying group:

has a formula that is a member selected from:

wherein Q is a member selected from H and substituted or unsubstitutedC₁-C₆ alkyl. The indices e, f and f′ are integers independently selectedfrom 1 to 2500, and q and q′ are integers independently selected from 1to 20.

In another exemplary embodiment, the branched polymer has a structureaccording to the following formula:

in which the indices m and n are integers independently selected from 0to 5000. A¹, A², A³, A⁴, A⁵, A⁶, A⁷, A⁸, A⁹, A¹⁰ and A¹¹ are membersindependently selected from H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl,substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstitutedcycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, substitutedor unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl,—NA¹²A¹³, —OA¹² and —SiA¹²A¹³. A¹² and A¹³ are members independentlyselected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl,substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, substituted orunsubstituted aryl, and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl.

Formula IIIa is a subset of Formula III. The structures described byFormula IIIa are also encompassed by Formula III.

In another exemplary embodiment according to the formula above, thebranched polymer has a structure according to the following formula:

In an exemplary embodiment, A¹ and A² are each —OCH₃ or H.

In an illustrative embodiment, the modified sugar is sialic acid andselected modified sugar compounds of use in the invention have theformulae:

The indices a, b and d are integers from 0 to 20. The index c is aninteger from 1 to 2500. The structures set forth above can be componentsof R¹⁵.

In another illustrative embodiment, a primary hydroxyl moiety of thesugar is functionalized with the modifying group. For example, the9-hydroxyl of sialic acid can be converted to the corresponding amineand functionalized to provide a compound according to the invention.Formulae according to this embodiment include:

The structures set forth above can be components of R¹⁵.

Although the present invention is exemplified in the preceding sectionsby reference to PEG, as those of skill will appreciate, an array ofpolymeric modifying moieties is of use in the compounds and methods setforth herein.

In selected embodiments, R¹ or L-R¹ is a branched PEG, for example, oneof the species set forth above. In an exemplary embodiment, the branchedPEG structure is based on a cysteine peptide. Illustrative modifiedsugars according to this embodiment include:

in which X⁴ is a bond or O. In each of the structures above, thealkylamine linker —(CH₂)_(a)NH— can be present or absent. The structuresset forth above can be components of R¹⁵/R^(15′).

As discussed herein, the polymer-modified sialic acids of use in theinvention may also be linear structures. Thus, the invention providesfor conjugates that include a sialic acid moiety derived from astructure such as:

in which the indices q and e are as discussed above.

Exemplary modified sugars are modified with water-soluble orwater-insoluble polymers. Examples of useful polymer are furtherexemplified below.

In another exemplary embodiment, the peptide is derived from insectcells, remodeled by adding GlcNAc and Gal to the mannose core andglycopegylated using a sialic acid bearing a linear PEG moiety,affording a Factor IX peptide that comprises at least one moiety havingthe formula:

in which the index t is an integer from 0 to 1; the index s representsan integer from 1 to 10; and the index f represents an integer from 1 to2500.

Water-Insoluble Polymers

In another embodiment, analogous to those discussed above, the modifiedsugars include a water-insoluble polymer, rather than a water-solublepolymer. The conjugates of the invention may also include one or morewater-insoluble polymers. This embodiment of the invention isillustrated by the use of the conjugate as a vehicle with which todeliver a therapeutic peptide in a controlled manner. Polymeric drugdelivery systems are known in the art. See, for example, Dunn et al.,Eds. POLYMERIC DRUGS AND DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS, ACS Symposium SeriesVol. 469, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. 1991. Those ofskill in the art will appreciate that substantially any known drugdelivery system is applicable to the conjugates of the presentinvention.

The motifs forth above for R¹, L-R¹, R¹⁵, R^(15′) and other radicals areequally applicable to water-insoluble polymers, which may beincorporated into the linear and branched structures without limitationutilizing chemistry readily accessible to those of skill in the art.Similarly, the incorporation of these species into any of the modifiedsugars discussed herein is within the scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the invention provides conjugates containing, and for theuse of to prepare such conjugates, sialic acid and other sugar moietiesmodified with a linear or branched water-insoluble polymers, andactivated analogues of the modified sialic acid species (e.g.,CMP-Sia-(water insoluble polymer)).

Representative water-insoluble polymers include, but are not limited to,polyphosphazines, poly(vinyl alcohols), polyamides, polycarbonates,polyalkylenes, polyacrylamides, polyalkylene glycols, polyalkyleneoxides, polyalkylene terephthalates, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl esters,polyvinyl halides, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyglycolides, polysiloxanes,polyurethanes, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl methacrylate),poly(butyl methacrylate), poly(isobutyl methacrylate), poly(hexylmethacrylate), poly(isodecyl methacrylate), poly(lauryl methacrylate),poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(methyl acrylate), poly(isopropylacrylate), poly(isobutyl acrylate), poly(octadecyl acrylate)polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(ethylene glycol), poly(ethyleneoxide), poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(vinyl acetate), polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, pluronics andpolyvinylphenol and copolymers thereof.

Synthetically modified natural polymers of use in conjugates of theinvention include, but are not limited to, alkyl celluloses,hydroxyalkyl celluloses, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, andnitrocelluloses. Particularly preferred members of the broad classes ofsynthetically modified natural polymers include, but are not limited to,methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose, celluloseacetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, celluloseacetate phthalate, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose triacetate,cellulose sulfate sodium salt, and polymers of acrylic and methacrylicesters and alginic acid.

These and the other polymers discussed herein can be readily obtainedfrom commercial sources such as Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, Mo.),Polysciences (Warrenton, Pa.), Aldrich (Milwaukee, Wis.), Fluka(Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), and BioRad (Richmond, Calif.), or else synthesizedfrom monomers obtained from these suppliers using standard techniques.

Representative biodegradable polymers of use in the conjugates of theinvention include, but are not limited to, polylactides, polyglycolidesand copolymers thereof, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butyricacid), poly(valeric acid), poly(lactide-co-caprolactone),poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, blends andcopolymers thereof. Of particular use are compositions that form gels,such as those including collagen, pluronics and the like.

The polymers of use in the invention include “hybrid’ polymers thatinclude water-insoluble materials having within at least a portion oftheir structure, a bioresorbable molecule. An example of such a polymeris one that includes a water-insoluble copolymer, which has abioresorbable region, a hydrophilic region and a plurality ofcrosslinkable functional groups per polymer chain.

For purposes of the present invention, “water-insoluble materials”includes materials that are substantially insoluble in water orwater-containing environments. Thus, although certain regions orsegments of the copolymer may be hydrophilic or even water-soluble, thepolymer molecule, as a whole, does not to any substantial measuredissolve in water.

For purposes of the present invention, the term “bioresorbable molecule”includes a region that is capable of being metabolized or broken downand resorbed and/or eliminated through normal excretory routes by thebody. Such metabolites or break down products are preferablysubstantially non-toxic to the body.

The bioresorbable region may be either hydrophobic or hydrophilic, solong as the copolymer composition as a whole is not renderedwater-soluble. Thus, the bioresorbable region is selected based on thepreference that the polymer, as a whole, remains water-insoluble.Accordingly, the relative properties, i.e., the kinds of functionalgroups contained by, and the relative proportions of the bioresorbableregion, and the hydrophilic region are selected to ensure that usefulbioresorbable compositions remain water-insoluble.

Exemplary resorbable polymers include, for example, syntheticallyproduced resorbable block copolymers of poly(α-hydroxy-carboxylicacid)/poly(oxyalkylene, (see, Cohn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,945).These copolymers are not crosslinked and are water-soluble so that thebody can excrete the degraded block copolymer compositions. See, Youneset al., J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 21: 1301-1316 (1987); and Cohn et al., J.Biomed. Mater. Res. 22: 993-1009 (1988).

Presently preferred bioresorbable polymers include one or morecomponents selected from poly(esters), poly(hydroxy acids),poly(lactones), poly(amides), poly(ester-amides), poly(amino acids),poly(anhydrides), poly(orthoesters), poly(carbonates),poly(phosphazines), poly(phosphoesters), poly(thioesters),polysaccharides and mixtures thereof. More preferably still, thebiosresorbable polymer includes a poly(hydroxy) acid component. Of thepoly(hydroxy) acids, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polycaproicacid, polybutyric acid, polyvaleric acid and copolymers and mixturesthereof are preferred.

In addition to forming fragments that are absorbed in vivo(“bioresorbed”), preferred polymeric coatings for use in the methods ofthe invention can also form an excretable and/or metabolizable fragment.

Higher order copolymers can also be used in the present invention. Forexample, Casey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,253, which issued on Mar. 20,1984, discloses tri-block copolymers produced from thetransesterification of poly(glycolic acid) and an hydroxyl-endedpoly(alkylene glycol). Such compositions are disclosed for use asresorbable monofilament sutures. The flexibility of such compositions iscontrolled by the incorporation of an aromatic orthocarbonate, such astetra-p-tolyl orthocarbonate into the copolymer structure.

Other polymers based on lactic and/or glycolic acids can also beutilized. For example, Spinu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,413, which issued onApr. 13, 1993, discloses biodegradable multi-block copolymers havingsequentially ordered blocks of polylactide and/or polyglycolide producedby ring-opening polymerization of lactide and/or glycolide onto eitheran oligomeric diol or a diamine residue followed by chain extension witha di-functional compound, such as, a diisocyanate, diacylchloride ordichlorosilane.

Bioresorbable regions of coatings useful in the present invention can bedesigned to be hydrolytically and/or enzymatically cleavable. Forpurposes of the present invention, “hydrolytically cleavable” refers tothe susceptibility of the copolymer, especially the bioresorbableregion, to hydrolysis in water or a water-containing environment.Similarly, “enzymatically cleavable” as used herein refers to thesusceptibility of the copolymer, especially the bioresorbable region, tocleavage by endogenous or exogenous enzymes.

When placed within the body, the hydrophilic region can be processedinto excretable and/or metabolizable fragments. Thus, the hydrophilicregion can include, for example, polyethers, polyalkylene oxides,polyols, poly(vinyl pyrrolidine), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(alkyloxazolines), polysaccharides, carbohydrates, peptides, proteins andcopolymers and mixtures thereof. Furthermore, the hydrophilic region canalso be, for example, a poly(alkylene) oxide. Such poly(alkylene) oxidescan include, for example, poly(ethylene) oxide, poly(propylene) oxideand mixtures and copolymers thereof.

Polymers that are components of hydrogels are also useful in the presentinvention. Hydrogels are polymeric materials that are capable ofabsorbing relatively large quantities of water. Examples of hydrogelforming compounds include, but are not limited to, polyacrylic acids,sodium carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidine,gelatin, carrageenan and other polysaccharides,hydroxyethylenemethacrylic acid (HEMA), as well as derivatives thereof,and the like. Hydrogels can be produced that are stable, biodegradableand bioresorbable. Moreover, hydrogel compositions can include subunitsthat exhibit one or more of these properties.

Bio-compatible hydrogel compositions whose integrity can be controlledthrough crosslinking are known and are presently preferred for use inthe methods of the invention. For example, Hubbell et al., U.S. Pat. No.5,410,016, which issued on Apr. 25, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,914,which issued on Jun. 25, 1996, disclose water-soluble systems, which arecrosslinked block copolymers having a water-soluble central blocksegment sandwiched between two hydrolytically labile extensions. Suchcopolymers are further end-capped with photopolymerizable acrylatefunctionalities. When crosslinked, these systems become hydrogels. Thewater soluble central block of such copolymers can include poly(ethyleneglycol); whereas, the hydrolytically labile extensions can be apoly(α-hydroxy acid), such as polyglycolic acid or polylactic acid. See,Sawhney et al., Macromolecules 26: 581-587 (1993).

In another preferred embodiment, the gel is a thermoreversible gel.Thermoreversible gels including components, such as pluronics, collagen,gelatin, hyalouronic acid, polysaccharides, polyurethane hydrogel,polyurethane-urea hydrogel and combinations thereof are presentlypreferred.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the conjugate of the inventionincludes a component of a liposome. Liposomes can be prepared accordingto methods known to those skilled in the art, for example, as describedin Eppstein et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,811. For example, liposomeformulations may be prepared by dissolving appropriate lipid(s) (such asstearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine, stearoyl phosphatidyl choline,arachadoyl phosphatidyl choline, and cholesterol) in an inorganicsolvent that is then evaporated, leaving behind a thin film of driedlipid on the surface of the container. An aqueous solution of the activecompound or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt is then introduced intothe container. The container is then swirled by hand to free lipidmaterial from the sides of the container and to disperse lipidaggregates, thereby forming the liposomal suspension.

The above-recited microparticles and methods of preparing themicroparticles are offered by way of example and they are not intendedto define the scope of microparticles of use in the present invention.It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that an array ofmicroparticles, fabricated by different methods, is of use in thepresent invention.

The structural formats discussed above in the context of thewater-soluble polymers, both straight-chain and branched are generallyapplicable with respect to the water-insoluble polymers as well. Thus,for example, the cysteine, serine, dilysine, and trilysine branchingcores can be functionalized with two water-insoluble polymer moieties.The methods used to produce these species are generally closelyanalogous to those used to produce the water-soluble polymers.

Biomolecules

In another preferred embodiment, the modified sugar bears a biomolecule.In still further preferred embodiments, the biomolecule is a functionalprotein, enzyme, antigen, antibody, peptide, nucleic acid (e.g., singlenucleotides or nucleosides, oligonucleotides, polynucleotides andsingle- and higher-stranded nucleic acids), lectin, receptor or acombination thereof.

Preferred biomolecules are essentially non-fluorescent, or emit such aminimal amount of fluorescence that they are inappropriate for use as afluorescent marker in an assay. Moreover, it is generally preferred touse biomolecules that are not sugars. An exception to this preference isthe use of an otherwise naturally occurring sugar that is modified bycovalent attachment of another entity (e.g., PEG, biomolecule,therapeutic moiety, diagnostic moiety, etc.). In an exemplaryembodiment, a sugar moiety, which is a biomolecule, is conjugated to alinker arm and the sugar-linker arm cassette is subsequently conjugatedto a peptide via a method of the invention.

Biomolecules useful in practicing the present invention can be derivedfrom any source. The biomolecules can be isolated from natural sourcesor they can be produced by synthetic methods. Peptides can be naturalpeptides or mutated peptides. Mutations can be effected by chemicalmutagenesis, site-directed mutagenesis or other means of inducingmutations known to those of skill in the art. Peptides useful inpracticing the instant invention include, for example, enzymes,antigens, antibodies and receptors. Antibodies can be either polyclonalor monoclonal; either intact or fragments. The peptides are optionallythe products of a program of directed evolution.

Both naturally derived and synthetic peptides and nucleic acids are ofuse in conjunction with the present invention; these molecules can beattached to a sugar residue component or a crosslinking agent by anyavailable reactive group. For example, peptides can be attached througha reactive amine, carboxyl, sulfhydryl, or hydroxyl group. The reactivegroup can reside at a peptide terminus or at a site internal to thepeptide chain. Nucleic acids can be attached through a reactive group ona base (e.g., exocyclic amine) or an available hydroxyl group on a sugarmoiety (e.g., 3′- or 5′-hydroxyl). The peptide and nucleic acid chainscan be further derivatized at one or more sites to allow for theattachment of appropriate reactive groups onto the chain. See, Chriseyet al. Nucleic Acids Res. 24: 3031-3039 (1996).

In a further preferred embodiment, the biomolecule is selected to directthe peptide modified by the methods of the invention to a specifictissue, thereby enhancing the delivery of the peptide to that tissuerelative to the amount of underivatized peptide that is delivered to thetissue. In a still further preferred embodiment, the amount ofderivatized peptide delivered to a specific tissue within a selectedtime period is enhanced by derivatization by at least about 20%, morepreferably, at least about 40%, and more preferably still, at leastabout 100%. Presently, preferred biomolecules for targeting applicationsinclude antibodies, hormones and ligands for cell-surface receptors.

In still a further exemplary embodiment, there is provided as conjugatewith biotin. Thus, for example, a selectively biotinylated peptide iselaborated by the attachment of an avidin or streptavidin moiety bearingone or more modifying groups.

Methods

In addition to the conjugates discussed above, the present inventionprovides methods for preparing these and other conjugates. Thus, in afurther aspect, the invention provides a method of forming a covalentconjugate between a selected moiety and a peptide. Additionally, theinvention provides methods for targeting conjugates of the invention toa particular tissue or region of the body. Furthermore, the presentinvention provides a method for preventing, curing, or ameliorating adisease state by administering a conjugate of the invention to a subjectat risk of developing the disease or a subject that has the disease.

In exemplary embodiments, the conjugate is formed between awater-soluble polymer, a therapeutic moiety, targeting moiety or abiomolecule, and a glycosylated or non-glycosylated peptide. Thepolymer, therapeutic moiety or biomolecule is conjugated to the peptidevia an intact glycosyl linking group, which is interposed between, andcovalently linked to both the peptide and the modifying group (e.g.,water-soluble polymer).

In an exemplary embodiment, the conjugate is formed through a chemicalprocess sometimes referred to as chemoPEGylation. Further discussion ofthe synthesis chemoPEGylated peptide conjugates is provided inPCT/US02/3226, filed Oct. 9, 2002 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/287,994, filed Nov. 5, 2002, each of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety.

The method includes contacting the peptide with a mixture containing amodified sugar and a glycosyltransferase for which the modified sugar isa substrate. The reaction is conducted under conditions sufficient toform a covalent bond between the modified sugar and the peptide. Thesugar moiety of the modified sugar is preferably selected fromnucleotide sugars, activated sugars, and sugars that are neithernucleotides nor activated.

The acceptor peptide (glycosylated or non-glycosylated) is typicallysynthesized de novo, or recombinantly expressed in a prokaryotic cell(e.g., bacterial cell, such as E. coli) or in a eukaryotic cell such asa mammalian cell (e.g., CHO cells), yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces), insect,or plant cell. The peptide can be either a full-length protein or afragment. Moreover, the peptide can be a wild type or mutated peptide.In an exemplary embodiment, the peptide includes a mutation that addsone or more consensus glycosylation sites to the peptide sequence.

The method of the invention also provides for modification ofincompletely glycosylated peptides that are produced recombinantly. Manyrecombinantly produced glycoproteins are incompletely glycosylated,exposing carbohydrate residues that may have undesirable properties,e.g., immunogenicity, recognition by the RES. Employing a modified sugarin a method of the invention, the peptide can be simultaneously furtherglycosylated and derivatized with, e.g., a water-soluble polymer,therapeutic agent, or the like. The sugar moiety of the modified sugarcan be the residue that would properly be conjugated to the acceptor ina fully glycosylated peptide, or another sugar moiety with desirableproperties.

Peptides modified by the methods of the invention can be synthetic orwild-type peptides or they can be mutated peptides, produced by methodsknown in the art, such as site-directed mutagenesis. Glycosylation ofpeptides is typically either N-linked or O-linked. An exemplaryN-linkage is the attachment of the modified sugar to the side chain ofan asparagine residue. The tripeptide sequences asparagine-X-serine andasparagine-X-threonine, where X is any amino acid except proline, arethe recognition sequences for enzymatic attachment of a carbohydratemoiety to the asparagine side chain. Thus, the presence of either ofthese tripeptide sequences in a polypeptide creates a potentialglycosylation site. O-linked glycosylation refers to the attachment ofone sugar (e.g., N-aceylgalactosamine, galactose, mannose, GlcNAc,glucose, fucose or xylose) to a the hydroxy side chain of a hydroxyaminoacid, preferably serine or threonine, although 5-hydroxyproline or5-hydroxylysine may also be used.

Addition of glycosylation sites to a peptide or other structure isconveniently accomplished by altering the amino acid sequence such thatit contains one or more glycosylation sites. The addition may also bemade by the incorporation of one or more species presenting an —OHgroup, preferably serine or threonine residues, within the sequence ofthe peptide (for O-linked glycosylation sites). The addition may be madeby mutation or by full chemical synthesis of the peptide. The peptideamino acid sequence is preferably altered through changes at the DNAlevel, particularly by mutating the DNA encoding the peptide atpreselected bases such that codons are generated that will translateinto the desired amino acids. The DNA mutation(s) are preferably madeusing methods known in the art.

In an exemplary embodiment, the glycosylation site is added by shufflingpolynucleotides. Polynucleotides encoding a candidate peptide can bemodulated with DNA shuffling protocols. DNA shuffling is a process ofrecursive recombination and mutation, performed by random fragmentationof a pool of related genes, followed by reassembly of the fragments by apolymerase chain reaction-like process. See, e.g., Stemmer, Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 91:10747-10751 (1994); Stemmer, Nature 370:389-391(1994); and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,605,793, 5,837,458, 5,830,721 and5,811,238.

The present invention also provides means of adding (or removing) one ormore selected glycosyl residues to a peptide, after which a modifiedsugar is conjugated to at least one of the selected glycosyl residues ofthe peptide. The present embodiment is useful, for example, when it isdesired to conjugate the modified sugar to a selected glycosyl residuethat is either not present on a peptide or is not present in a desiredamount. Thus, prior to coupling a modified sugar to a peptide, theselected glycosyl residue is conjugated to the peptide by enzymatic orchemical coupling. In another embodiment, the glycosylation pattern of aglycopeptide is altered prior to the conjugation of the modified sugarby the removal of a carbohydrate residue from the glycopeptide. See, forexample WO 98/31826.

Addition or removal of any carbohydrate moieties present on theglycopeptide is accomplished either chemically or enzymatically.Chemical deglycosylation is preferably brought about by exposure of thepolypeptide variant to the compound trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, or anequivalent compound. This treatment results in the cleavage of most orall sugars except the linking sugar (N-acetylglucosamine orN-acetylgalactosamine), while leaving the peptide intact. Chemicaldeglycosylation is described by Hakimuddin et al., Arch. Biochem.Biophys. 259: 52 (1987) and by Edge et al., Anal. Biochem. 118: 131(1981). Enzymatic cleavage of carbohydrate moieties on polypeptidevariants can be achieved by the use of a variety of endo- andexo-glycosidases as described by Thotakura et al., Meth. Enzymol. 138:350 (1987).

Chemical addition of glycosyl moieties is carried out by anyart-recognized method. Enzymatic addition of sugar moieties ispreferably achieved using a modification of the methods set forthherein, substituting native glycosyl units for the modified sugars usedin the invention. Other methods of adding sugar moieties are disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,876,980, 6,030,815, 5,728,554, and 5,922,577.

Exemplary attachment points for selected glycosyl residue include, butare not limited to: (a) consensus sites for N-linked glycosylation andO-linked glycosylation; (b) terminal glycosyl moieties that areacceptors for a glycosyltransferase; (c) arginine, asparagine andhistidine; (d) free carboxyl groups; (e) free sulfhydryl groups such asthose of cysteine; (f) free hydroxyl groups such as those of serine,threonine, or hydroxyproline; (g) aromatic residues such as those ofphenylalanine, tyrosine, or tryptophan; or (h) the amide group ofglutamine Exemplary methods of use in the present invention aredescribed in WO 87/05330 published Sep. 11, 1987, and in Aplin andWriston, CRC CRIT. REV. BIOCHEM., pp. 259-306 (1981).

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for linking Factor IXand one or more peptide through a linking group. The linking group is ofany useful structure and may be selected from straight-chain andbranched chain structures. Preferably, each terminus of the linker,which is attached to a peptide, includes a modified sugar (i.e., anascent intact glycosyl linking group).

In an exemplary method of the invention, two peptides are linkedtogether via a linker moiety that includes a PEG linker. The constructconforms to the general structure set forth in the cartoon above. Asdescribed herein, the construct of the invention includes two intactglycosyl linking groups (i.e., s+t=1). The focus on a PEG linker thatincludes two glycosyl groups is for purposes of clarity and should notbe interpreted as limiting the identity of linker arms of use in thisembodiment of the invention.

Thus, a PEG moiety is functionalized at a first terminus with a firstglycosyl unit and at a second terminus with a second glycosyl unit. Thefirst and second glycosyl units are preferably substrates for differenttransferases, allowing orthogonal attachment of the first and secondpeptides to the first and second glycosylunits, respectively. Inpractice, the (glycosyl)¹-PEG-(glycosyl)² linker is contacted with thefirst peptide and a first transferase for which the first glycosyl unitis a substrate, thereby forming (peptide)¹-(glycosyl)¹-PEG-(glycosyl)².Glycosyltransferase and/or unreacted peptide is then optionally removedfrom the reaction mixture. The second peptide and a second transferasefor which the second glycosyl unit is a substrate are added to the(peptide)¹-(glycosyl)¹-PEG-(glycosyl)² conjugate, forming(peptide)¹-(glycosyl)¹-PEG-(glycosyl)-(peptide)². Those of skill in theart will appreciate that the method outlined above is also applicable toforming conjugates between more than two peptides by, for example, theuse of a branched PEG, dendrimer, poly(amino acid), polsaccharide or thelike.

Another exemplary embodiment is set forth in Scheme 1. Scheme 1 shows amethod of preparing a conjugate comprising a polymer. The polymerincreases the circulatory half-life of the Factor IX protein.

in which SA is sialic acid, and polymer is PEG, mPEG, poly sialic acid,a water soluble or water insoluble polymer. Though the method isexemplified by reference to a Factor IX mutant, those of skill willappreciate it is equally applicable to wild-type Factor IX peptides.

The use of reactive derivatives of PEG (or other linkers) to attach oneor more peptide moieties to the linker is within the scope of thepresent invention. The invention is not limited by the identity of thereactive PEG analogue. Many activated derivatives ofpoly(ethyleneglycol) are available commercially and in the literature.It is well within the abilities of one of skill to choose, andsynthesize if necessary, an appropriate activated PEG derivative withwhich to prepare a substrate useful in the present invention. See,Abuchowski et al. Cancer Biochem. Biophys., 7: 175-186 (1984);Abuchowski et al., J. Biol. Chem., 252: 3582-3586 (1977); Jackson etal., Anal. Biochem., 165: 114-127 (1987); Koide et al., Biochem Biophys.Res. Commun., 111: 659-667 (1983)), tresylate (Nilsson et al., MethodsEnzymol., 104: 56-69 (1984); Delgado et al., Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem.,12: 119-128 (1990)); N-hydroxysuccinimide derived active esters(Buckmann et al., Makromol. Chem., 182: 1379-1384 (1981); Joppich etal., Makromol. Chem., 180: 1381-1384 (1979); Abuchowski et al., CancerBiochem. Biophys., 7: 175-186 (1984); Katre et al. Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. U.S.A., 84: 1487-1491 (1987); Kitamura et al., Cancer Res., 51:4310-4315 (1991); Boccu et al., Z. Naturforsch., 38C: 94-99 (1983),carbonates (Zalipsky et al., POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) CHEMISTRY:BIOTECHNICAL AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS, Harris, Ed., Plenum Press, NewYork, 1992, pp. 347-370; Zalipsky et al., Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem.,15: 100-114 (1992); Veronese et al., Appl. Biochem. Biotech., 11:141-152 (1985)), imidazolyl formates (Beauchamp et al., Anal. Biochem.,131: 25-33 (1983); Berger et al., Blood, 71: 1641-1647 (1988)),4-dithiopyridines (Woghiren et al., Bioconjugate Chem., 4: 314-318(1993)), isocyanates (Byun et al., ASAIO Journal, M649-M-653 (1992)) andepoxides (U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,595, issued to Noishiki et al., (1989).Other linking groups include the urethane linkage between amino groupsand activated PEG. See, Veronese, et al., Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol.,11: 141-152 (1985).

Preparation of Modified Sugars

In general, the sugar moiety and the modifying group are linked togetherthrough the use of reactive groups, which are typically transformed bythe linking process into a new organic functional group or species thatis unreactive under physiologically relevant conditions. The sugarreactive functional group(s), is located at any position on the sugarmoiety. Reactive groups and classes of reactions useful in practicingthe present invention are generally those that are well known in the artof bioconjugate chemistry. Currently favored classes of reactionsavailable with reactive sugar moieties are those, which proceed underrelatively mild conditions. These include, but are not limited tonucleophilic substitutions (e.g., reactions of amines and alcohols withacyl halides, active esters), electrophilic substitutions (e.g., enaminereactions) and additions to carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom multiplebonds (e.g., Michael reaction, Diels-Alder addition). These and otheruseful reactions are discussed in, for example, March, ADVANCED ORGANICCHEMISTRY, 3rd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1985; Hermanson,BIOCONJUGATE TECHNIQUES, Academic Press, San Diego, 1996; and Feeney etal., MODIFICATION OF PROTEINS; Advances in Chemistry Series, Vol. 198,American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1982.

Useful reactive functional groups pendent from a sugar nucleus ormodifying group include, but are not limited to:

-   -   (a) carboxyl groups and various derivatives thereof including,        but not limited to, N-hydroxysuccinimide esters,        N-hydroxybenztriazole esters, acid halides, acyl imidazoles,        thioesters, p-nitrophenyl esters, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and        aromatic esters;    -   (b) hydroxyl groups, which can be converted to, e.g., esters,        ethers, aldehydes, etc.    -   (c) haloalkyl groups, wherein the halide can be later displaced        with a nucleophilic group such as, for example, an amine, a        carboxylate anion, thiol anion, carbanion, or an alkoxide ion,        thereby resulting in the covalent attachment of a new group at        the functional group of the halogen atom;    -   (d) dienophile groups, which are capable of participating in        Diels-Alder reactions such as, for example, maleimido groups;    -   (e) aldehyde or ketone groups, such that subsequent        derivatization is possible via formation of carbonyl derivatives        such as, for example, imines, hydrazones, semicarbazones or        oximes, or via such mechanisms as Grignard addition or        alkyllithium addition;    -   (f) sulfonyl halide groups for subsequent reaction with amines,        for example, to form sulfonamides;    -   (g) thiol groups, which can be, for example, converted to        disulfides or reacted with acyl halides;    -   (h) amine or sulfhydryl groups, which can be, for example,        acylated, alkylated or oxidized;    -   (i) alkenes, which can undergo, for example, cycloadditions,        acylation, Michael addition, etc; and    -   (j) epoxides, which can react with, for example, amines and        hydroxyl compounds.

The reactive functional groups can be chosen such that they do notparticipate in, or interfere with, the reactions necessary to assemblethe reactive sugar nucleus or modifying group. Alternatively, a reactivefunctional group can be protected from participating in the reaction bythe presence of a protecting group. Those of skill in the art understandhow to protect a particular functional group such that it does notinterfere with a chosen set of reaction conditions. For examples ofuseful protecting groups, see, for example, Greene et al., PROTECTIVEGROUPS IN ORGANIC SYNTHESIS, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1991.

In the discussion that follows, a number of specific examples ofmodified sugars that are useful in practicing the present invention areset forth. In the exemplary embodiments, a sialic acid derivative isutilized as the sugar nucleus to which the modifying group is attached.The focus of the discussion on sialic acid derivatives is for clarity ofillustration only and should not be construed to limit the scope of theinvention. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that a variety ofother sugar moieties can be activated and derivatized in a manneranalogous to that set forth using sialic acid as an example. Forexample, numerous methods are available for modifying galactose,glucose, N-acetylgalactosamine and fucose to name a few sugarsubstrates, which are readily modified by art recognized methods. See,for example, Elhalabi et al., Curr. Med. Chem. 6: 93 (1999); and Schaferet al., J. Org. Chem. 65: 24 (2000)).

In an exemplary embodiment, the peptide that is modified by a method ofthe invention is a glycopeptide that is produced in prokaryotic cells(e.g., E. coli), eukaryotic cells including yeast and mammalian cells(e.g., CHO cells), or in a transgenic animal and thus, contains N-and/or O-linked oligosaccharide chains, which are incompletelysialylated. The oligosaccharide chains of the glycopeptide lacking asialic acid and containing a terminal galactose residue can bePEG-ylated, PPG-ylated or otherwise modified with a modified sialicacid.

Exemplary PEG-sialic acid derivatives include:

in which L is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl linker moiety joining the sialic acid moietyand the PEG moiety, and “n” is 1 or greater; and

in which the index “s” represents an integer from 0 to 20, and “n” is 1or greater.

In Scheme 2, the amino glycoside 1, is treated with the active ester ofa protected amino acid (e.g., glycine) derivative, converting the sugaramine residue into the corresponding protected amino acid amide adduct.The adduct is treated with an aldolase to form α-hydroxy carboxylate 2.Compound 2 is converted to the corresponding CMP derivative by theaction of CMP-SA synthetase, followed by catalytic hydrogenation of theCMP derivative to produce compound 3. The amine introduced via formationof the glycine adduct is utilized as a locus of PEG attachment byreacting compound 3 with an activated PEG or PPG derivative (e.g.,PEG-C(O)NHS, PEG-OC(O)O-p-nitrophenyl), producing species such as 4 or5, respectively.

Table 1 sets forth representative examples of sugar monophosphates thatare derivatized with a modifying group, such as a PEG or PPG moiety.Factor IX peptides can be modified by the method of Scheme 2. Otherderivatives are prepared by art-recognized methods. See, for example,Keppler et al., Glycobiology 11: 11R (2001); and Charter et al.,Glycobiology 10: 1049 (2000)). Other amine reactive PEG and PPGanalogues are commercially available, or they can be prepared by methodsreadily accessible to those of skill in the art.

TABLE 1

wherein R represents a modifying group, e.g., linear or branched PEG or-L^(x)-R^(x) in which L^(x) is a linker selected from a bond(zero-order), substituted or unsubstituted alkyl and substituted orunsubstituted heteroalkyl, and Rx is the modifying group.

The modified sugar phosphates of use in practicing the present inventioncan be substituted in other positions as well as those set forth above.Presently preferred substitutions of sialic acid are set forth in thefollowing formula:

in which X is a linking group, which is preferably selected from —O—,—N(H)—, —S, CH₂—, and —N(R)₂, in which each R is a member independentlyselected from R¹-R⁵. The symbols Y, Z, A and B each represent a groupthat is selected from the group set forth above for the identity of X.X, Y, Z, A and B are each independently selected and, therefore, theycan be the same or different. The symbols R¹, R², R³, R⁴ and R⁵represent H, a water-soluble polymer, therapeutic moiety, biomolecule orother moiety. Alternatively, these symbols represent a linker that isbound to a water-soluble polymer, therapeutic moiety, biomolecule orother moiety.

Exemplary moieties attached to the conjugates disclosed herein include,but are not limited to, PEG derivatives (e.g., alkyl-PEG, acyl-PEG,acyl-alkyl-PEG, alkyl-acyl-PEG carbamoyl-PEG, aryl-PEG), PPG derivatives(e.g., alkyl-PPG, acyl-PPG, acyl-alkyl-PPG, alkyl-acyl-PPGcarbamoyl-PPG, aryl-PPG), therapeutic moieties, diagnostic moieties,mannose-6-phosphate, heparin, heparan, SLe_(x), mannose,mannose-6-phosphate, Sialyl Lewis X, FGF, VFGF, proteins, chondroitin,keratan, dermatan, albumin, integrins, antennary oligosaccharides,peptides and the like. Methods of conjugating the various modifyinggroups to a saccharide moiety are readily accessible to those of skillin the art (POLY (ETHYLENE GLYCOL CHEMISTRY: BIOTECHNICAL AND BIOMEDICALAPPLICATIONS, J. Milton Harris, Ed., Plenum Pub. Corp., 1992; POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, J. MiltonHarris, Ed., ACS Symposium Series No. 680, American Chemical Society,1997; Hermanson, BIOCONJUGATE TECHNIQUES, Academic Press, San Diego,1996; and Dunn et al., Eds. POLYMERIC DRUGS AND DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS,ACS Symposium Series Vol. 469, American Chemical Society, Washington,D.C. 1991).

Cross-Linking Groups

Preparation of the modified sugar for use in the methods of the presentinvention includes attachment of a modifying group to a sugar residueand forming a stable adduct, which is a substrate for aglycosyltransferase. The sugar and modifying group can be coupled by azero- or higher-order cross-linking agent. Exemplary bifunctionalcompounds which can be used for attaching modifying groups tocarbohydrate moieties include, but are not limited to, bifunctionalpoly(ethyleneglycols), polyamides, polyethers, polyesters and the like.General approaches for linking carbohydrates to other molecules areknown in the literature. See, for example, Lee et al., Biochemistry 28:1856 (1989); Bhatia et al., Anal. Biochem. 178: 408 (1989); Janda etal., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112: 8886 (1990) and Bednarski et al., WO92/18135.

A variety of reagents are used to modify the components of the modifiedsugar with intramolecular chemical crosslinks (for reviews ofcrosslinking reagents and crosslinking procedures see: Wold, F., Meth.Enzymol. 25: 623-651, 1972; Weetall, H. H., and Cooney, D. A., In:ENZYMES AS DRUGS. (Holcenberg, and Roberts, eds.) pp. 395-442, Wiley,New York, 1981; Ji, T. H., Meth. Enzymol. 91: 580-609, 1983; Mattson etal., Mol. Biol. Rep. 17: 167-183, 1993, all of which are incorporatedherein by reference). Preferred crosslinking reagents are derived fromvarious zero-length, homo-bifunctional, and hetero-bifunctionalcrosslinking reagents. Zero-length crosslinking reagents include directconjugation of two intrinsic chemical groups with no introduction ofextrinsic material. Agents that catalyze formation of a disulfide bondbelong to this category. Another example is reagents that inducecondensation of a carboxyl and a primary amino group to form an amidebond such as carbodiimides, ethylchloroformate, Woodward's reagent K(2-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3′-sulfonate), and carbonyldiimidazole. Inaddition to these chemical reagents, the enzyme transglutaminase(glutamyl-peptide γ-glutamyltransferase; EC 2.3.2.13) may be used aszero-length crosslinking reagent. This enzyme catalyzes acyl transferreactions at carboxamide groups of protein-bound glutaminyl residues,usually with a primary amino group as substrate. Preferred homo- andhetero-bifunctional reagents contain two identical or two dissimilarsites, respectively, which may be reactive for amino, sulfhydryl,guanidino, indole, or nonspecific groups.

In still another embodiment, the invention utilizes photoactivatablegroups, for example, thost that are selected from diazopyruvates. Forexample, the p-nitrophenyl ester of p-nitrophenyl diazopyruvate reactswith aliphatic amines to give diazopyruvic acid amides that undergoultraviolet photolysis to form aldehydes. The photolyzeddiazopyruvate-modified affinity component will react like formaldehydeor glutaraldehyde forming crosslinks.

Cleavable Linker Groups

In yet a further embodiment, the linker group is provided with a groupthat can be cleaved to release the modifying group from the sugarresidue. Many cleaveable groups are known in the art. See, for example,Jung et al., Biochem. Biophys. Acta 761: 152-162 (1983); Joshi et al.,J. Biol. Chem. 265: 14518-14525 (1990); Zarling et al., J. Immunol. 124:913-920 (1980); Bouizar et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 155: 141-147 (1986);Park et al., J. Biol. Chem. 261: 205-210 (1986); Browning et al., J.Immunol. 143: 1859-1867 (1989). Moreover a broad range of cleavable,bifunctional (both homo- and hetero-bifunctional) linker groups iscommercially available from suppliers such as Pierce.

Exemplary cleaveable moieties can be cleaved using light, heat orreagents such as thiols, hydroxylamine, bases, periodate and the like.Moreover, certain preferred groups are cleaved in vivo in response tobeing endocytized (e.g., cis-aconityl; see, Shen et al., Biochem.Biophys. Res. Commun. 102: 1048 (1991)). Preferred cleaveable groupscomprise a cleaveable moiety which is a member selected from the groupconsisting of disulfide, ester, imide, carbonate, nitrobenzyl, phenacyland benzoin groups.

Conjugation of Modified Sugars to Peptides

The modified sugars are conjugated to a glycosylated or non-glycosylatedpeptide using an appropriate enzyme to mediate the conjugation.Preferably, the concentrations of the modified donor sugar(s), enzyme(s)and acceptor peptide(s) are selected such that glycosylation proceedsuntil the acceptor is consumed. The considerations discussed below,while set forth in the context of a sialyltransferase, are generallyapplicable to other glycosyltransferase reactions.

A number of methods of using glycosyltransferases to synthesize desiredoligosaccharide structures are known and are generally applicable to theinstant invention. Exemplary methods are described, for instance, WO96/32491, Ito et al., Pure Appl. Chem. 65: 753 (1993), and U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,352,670, 5,374,541, and 5,545,553.

The present invention is practiced using a single glycosyltransferase ora combination of glycosyltransferases. For example, one can use acombination of a sialyltransferase and a galactosyltransferase. In thoseembodiments using more than one enzyme, the enzymes and substrates arepreferably combined in an initial reaction mixture, or the enzymes andreagents for a second enzymatic reaction are added to the reactionmedium once the first enzymatic reaction is complete or nearly complete.By conducting two enzymatic reactions in sequence in a single vessel,overall yields are improved over procedures in which an intermediatespecies is isolated. Moreover, cleanup and disposal of extra solventsand by-products is reduced.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the first and second enzyme is aglycosyltransferase. In another preferred embodiment, one enzyme is anendoglycosidase. In an additional preferred embodiment, more than twoenzymes are used to assemble the modified glycoprotein of the invention.The enzymes are used to alter a saccharide structure on the peptide atany point either before or after the addition of the modified sugar tothe peptide.

In another embodiment, the method makes use of one or more exo- orendoglycosidase. The glycosidase is typically a mutant, which isengineered to form glycosyl bonds rather than cleave them. The mutantglycanase typically includes a substitution of an amino acid residue foran active site acidic amino acid residue. For example, when theendoglycanase is endo-H, the substituted active site residues willtypically be Asp at position 130, Glu at position 132 or a combinationthereof. The amino acids are generally replaced with serine, alanine,asparagine, or glutamine.

The mutant enzyme catalyzes the reaction, usually by a synthesis stepthat is analogous to the reverse reaction of the endoglycanasehydrolysis step. In these embodiments, the glycosyl donor molecule(e.g., a desired oligo- or mono-saccharide structure) contains a leavinggroup and the reaction proceeds with the addition of the donor moleculeto a GlcNAc residue on the protein. For example, the leaving group canbe a halogen, such as fluoride. In other embodiments, the leaving groupis a Asn, or a Asn-peptide moiety. In yet further embodiments, theGlcNAc residue on the glycosyl donor molecule is modified. For example,the GlcNAc residue may comprise a 1,2 oxazoline moiety.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the enzymes utilized to produce aconjugate of the invention are present in a catalytic amount. Thecatalytic amount of a particular enzyme varies according to theconcentration of that enzyme's substrate as well as to reactionconditions such as temperature, time and pH value. Means for determiningthe catalytic amount for a given enzyme under preselected substrateconcentrations and reaction conditions are well known to those of skillin the art.

The temperature at which an above process is carried out can range fromjust above freezing to the temperature at which the most sensitiveenzyme denatures. Preferred temperature ranges are about 0° C. to about55° C., and more preferably about 20° C. to about 30° C. In anotherexemplary embodiment, one or more components of the present method areconducted at an elevated temperature using a thermophilic enzyme.

The reaction mixture is maintained for a period of time sufficient forthe acceptor to be glycosylated, thereby forming the desired conjugate.Some of the conjugate can often be detected after a few hours, withrecoverable amounts usually being obtained within 24 hours or less.Those of skill in the art understand that the rate of reaction isdependent on a number of variable factors (e.g, enzyme concentration,donor concentration, acceptor concentration, temperature, solventvolume), which are optimized for a selected system.

The present invention also provides for the industrial-scale productionof modified peptides. As used herein, an industrial scale generallyproduces at least about 250 mg, preferably at least about 500 mg, andmore preferably at least about 1 gram of finished, purified conjugate,preferably after a single reaction cycle, i.e., the conjugate is not acombination the reaction products from identical, consecutively iteratedsynthesis cycles.

In the discussion that follows, the invention is exemplified by theconjugation of modified sialic acid moieties to a glycosylated peptide.The exemplary modified sialic acid is labeled with m-PEG. The focus ofthe following discussion on the use of PEG-modified sialic acid andglycosylated peptides is for clarity of illustration and is not intendedto imply that the invention is limited to the conjugation of these twopartners. One of skill understands that the discussion is generallyapplicable to the additions of modified glycosyl moieties other thansialic acid. Moreover, the discussion is equally applicable to themodification of a glycosyl unit with agents other than m-PEG includingother water-soluble polymers, therapeutic moieties, and biomolecules.

An enzymatic approach can be used for the selective introduction ofPEGylated or PPGylated carbohydrates onto a peptide or glycopeptide. Themethod utilizes modified sugars containing PEG, PPG, or a maskedreactive functional group, and is combined with the appropriateglycosyltransferase or glycosynthase. By selecting theglycosyltransferase that will make the desired carbohydrate linkage andutilizing the modified sugar as the donor substrate, the PEG or PPG canbe introduced directly onto the peptide backbone, onto existing sugarresidues of a glycopeptide or onto sugar residues that have been addedto a peptide.

An acceptor for the sialyltransferase is present on the peptide to bemodified by the methods of the present invention either as a naturallyoccurring structure or one placed there recombinantly, enzymatically orchemically. Suitable acceptors, include, for example, galactosylacceptors such as Galβ1,4GlcNAc, Galβ1,4GalNAc, Galβ1,3GalNAc,lacto-N-tetraose, Galβ1,3GlcNAc, GalNAc, Galβ1,3GalNAc, Galβ1,6GlcNAc,Galβ1,4Glc (lactose), and other acceptors known to those of skill in theart (see, e.g., Paulson et al., J. Biol. Chem. 253: 5617-5624 (1978)).

In one embodiment, an acceptor for the sialyltransferase is present onthe glycopeptide to be modified upon in vivo synthesis of theglycopeptide. Such glycopeptides can be sialylated using the claimedmethods without prior modification of the glycosylation pattern of theglycopeptide. Alternatively, the methods of the invention can be used tosialylate a peptide that does not include a suitable acceptor; one firstmodifies the peptide to include an acceptor by methods known to those ofskill in the art. In an exemplary embodiment, a GalNAc residue is addedby the action of a GalNAc transferase.

In an exemplary embodiment, the galactosyl acceptor is assembled byattaching a galactose residue to an appropriate acceptor linked to thepeptide, e.g., a GalNAc. The method includes incubating the peptide tobe modified with a reaction mixture that contains a suitable amount of agalactosyltransferase (e.g., Galβ1,3 or Galβ1,4), and a suitablegalactosyl donor (e.g., UDP-galactose). The reaction is allowed toproceed substantially to completion or, alternatively, the reaction isterminated when a preselected amount of the galactose residue is added.Other methods of assembling a selected saccharide acceptor will beapparent to those of skill in the art.

In yet another embodiment, glycopeptide-linked oligosaccharides arefirst “trimmed,” either in whole or in part, to expose either anacceptor for the sialyltransferase or a moiety to which one or moreappropriate residues can be added to obtain a suitable acceptor. Enzymessuch as glycosyltransferases and endoglycosidases (see, for example U.S.Pat. No. 5,716,812) are useful for the attaching and trimming reactions.

In the discussion that follows, the method of the invention isexemplified by the use of modified sugars having a water-soluble polymerattached thereto. The focus of the discussion is for clarity ofillustration. Those of skill will appreciate that the discussion isequally relevant to those embodiments in which the modified sugar bearsa therapeutic moiety, biomolecule or the like.

In an exemplary embodiment, an O-linked carbohydrate residue is“trimmed” prior to the addition of the modified sugar. For example aGalNAc-Gal residue is trimmed back to GalNAc. A modified sugar bearing awater-soluble polymer is conjugated to one or more of the sugar residuesexposed by the “trimming” In one example, a glycopeptide is “trimmed”and a water-soluble polymer is added to the resulting O-side chain aminoacid or glycopeptide glycan via a saccharyl moiety, e.g., Sia, Gal, orGalNAc moiety conjugated to the water-soluble polymer. The modifiedsaccharyl moiety is attached to an acceptor site on the “trimmed”glycopeptide. Alternatively, an unmodified saccharyl moiety, e.g., Galcan be added the terminus of the O-linked glycan.

In another exemplary embodiment, a water-soluble polymer is added to aGalNAc residue via a modified sugar having a galactose residue.Alternatively, an unmodified Gal can be added to the terminal GalNAcresidue.

In yet a further example, a water-soluble polymer is added onto a Galresidue using a modified sialic acid.

In another exemplary embodiment, an O-linked glycosyl residue is“trimmed back” to the GalNAc attached to the amino acid. In one example,a water-soluble polymer is added via a Gal modified with the polymer.Alternatively, an unmodified Gal is added to the GalNAc, followed by aGal with an attached water-soluble polymer. In yet another embodiment,one or more unmodified Gal residue is added to the GalNAc, followed by asialic acid moiety modified with a water-soluble polymer.

Using the methods of the invention, it is possible to “trim back” andbuild up a carbohydrate residue of substantially any desired structure.The modified sugar can be added to the termini of the carbohydratemoiety as set forth above, or it can be intermediate between the peptidecore and the terminus of the carbohydrate.

In an exemplary embodiment, the water-soluble polymer is added to aterminal Gal residue using a polymer modified sialic acid. Anappropriate sialyltransferase is used to add a modified sialic acid. Theapproach is summarized in Scheme 3.

In yet a further approach, summarized in Scheme 4, a masked reactivefunctionality is present on the sialic acid. The masked reactive groupis preferably unaffected by the conditions used to attach the modifiedsialic acid to the peptide. After the covalent attachment of themodified sialic acid to the peptide, the mask is removed and the peptideis conjugated with an agent such as PEG, PPG, a therapeutic moiety,biomolecule or other agent. The agent is conjugated to the peptide in aspecific manner by its reaction with the unmasked reactive group on themodified sugar residue.

Any modified sugar can be used with its appropriate glycosyltransferase,depending on the terminal sugars of the oligosaccharide side chains ofthe glycopeptide (Table 2). As discussed above, the terminal sugar ofthe glycopeptide required for introduction of the PEG-ylated orPPG-ylated structure can be introduced naturally during expression or itcan be produced post expression using the appropriate glycosidase(s),glycosyltransferase(s) or mix of glycosidase(s) andglycosyltransferase(s).

TABLE 2

X = O, NH, S, CH₂, N-(R₁-₅)₂. Y = X; Z = X; A = X; B = X. Q = H₂, O, S,NH, N-R. R, R₁-₄ = H, Linker-M, M. M = Ligand of interest Ligand ofinterest = acyl-PEG, acyl-PPG, alkyl-PEG, acyl-alkyl-PEG,acyl-alkyl-PEG, carbamoyl-PEG, carbamoyl-PPG, PEG, PPG, acyl-aryl-PEG,acyl-aryl-PPG, aryl-PEG, aryl-PPG, Mannose-₆-phosphate, heparin,heparan, SLex, Mannose, FGF, VFGF, protein, chondroitin, keratan,dermatan, albumin, integrins, peptides, etc.

In a further exemplary embodiment, UDP-galactose-PEG is reacted withbovine milk β1,4-galactosyltransferase, thereby transferring themodified galactose to the appropriate terminal N-acetylglucosaminestructure. The terminal GlcNAc residues on the glycopeptide may beproduced during expression, as may occur in such expression systems asmammalian, insect, plant or fungus, but also can be produced by treatingthe glycopeptide with a sialidase and/or glycosidase and/orglycosyltransferase, as required.

In another exemplary embodiment, a GlcNAc transferase, such as GNT1-5,is utilized to transfer PEGylated-GlcN to a terminal mannose residue ona glycopeptide. In a still further exemplary embodiment, an the N-and/or O-linked glycan structures are enzymatically removed from aglycopeptide to expose an amino acid or a terminal glycosyl residue thatis subsequently conjugated with the modified sugar. For example, anendoglycanase is used to remove the N-linked structures of aglycopeptide to expose a terminal GlcNAc as a GlcNAc-linked-Asn on theglycopeptide. UDP-Gal-PEG and the appropriate galactosyltransferase isused to introduce the PEG- or PPG-galactose functionality onto theexposed GlcNAc.

In an alternative embodiment, the modified sugar is added directly tothe peptide backbone using a glycosyltransferase known to transfer sugarresidues to the peptide backbone. This exemplary embodiment is set forthin Scheme 5. Exemplary glycosyltransferases useful in practicing thepresent invention include, but are not limited to, GalNAc transferases(GalNAc T1-20), GlcNAc transferases, fucosyltransferases,glucosyltransferases, xylosyltransferases, mannosyltransferases and thelike. Use of this approach allows the direct addition of modified sugarsonto peptides that lack any carbohydrates or, alternatively, ontoexisting glycopeptides. In both cases, the addition of the modifiedsugar occurs at specific positions on the peptide backbone as defined bythe substrate specificity of the glycosyltransferase and not in a randommanner as occurs during modification of a protein's peptide backboneusing chemical methods. An array of agents can be introduced intoproteins or glycopeptides that lack the glycosyltransferase substratepeptide sequence by engineering the appropriate amino acid sequence intothe polypeptide chain.

In each of the exemplary embodiments set forth above, one or moreadditional chemical or enzymatic modification steps can be utilizedfollowing the conjugation of the modified sugar to the peptide. In anexemplary embodiment, an enzyme (e.g., fucosyltransferase) is used toappend a glycosyl unit (e.g., fucose) onto the terminal modified sugarattached to the peptide. In another example, an enzymatic reaction isutilized to “cap” (e.g., sialylate) sites to which the modified sugarfailed to conjugate. Alternatively, a chemical reaction is utilized toalter the structure of the conjugated modified sugar. For example, theconjugated modified sugar is reacted with agents that stabilize ordestabilize its linkage with the peptide component to which the modifiedsugar is attached. In another example, a component of the modified sugaris deprotected following its conjugation to the peptide. One of skillwill appreciate that there is an array of enzymatic and chemicalprocedures that are useful in the methods of the invention at a stageafter the modified sugar is conjugated to the peptide. Furtherelaboration of the modified sugar-peptide conjugate is within the scopeof the invention.

Purification of Factor IX Conjugates

The products produced by the above processes can be used withoutpurification. However, it is usually preferred to recover the productand one or more of the intermediates, e.g., nucleotide sugars, branchedand linear PEG species, modified sugars and modified nucleotide sugars.Standard, well-known techniques for recovery of glycosylated saccharidessuch as thin or thick layer chromatography, column chromatography, ionexchange chromatography, or membrane filtration can be used. It ispreferred to use membrane filtration, more preferably utilizing areverse osmotic membrane, or one or more column chromatographictechniques for the recovery as is discussed hereinafter and in theliterature cited herein. For instance, membrane filtration wherein themembranes have molecular weight cutoff of about 3000 to about 10,000 canbe used to remove proteins such as glycosyl transferases.

If the peptide is produced intracellularly, as a first step, theparticulate debris, either host cells or lysed fragments, is removed.Following glycoPEGylation, the PEGylated peptide is purified byart-recognized methods, for example, by centrifugation orultrafiltration; optionally, the protein may be concentrated with acommercially available protein concentration filter, followed byseparating the polypeptide variant from other impurities by one or moresteps selected from immunoaffinity chromatography, ion-exchange columnfractionation (e.g., on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) or matrices containingcarboxymethyl or sulfopropyl groups), chromatography on Blue-Sepharose,CM Blue-Sepharose, MONO-Q, MONO-S, lentil lectin-Sepharose,WGA-Sepharose, Con A-Sepharose, Ether Toyopearl, Butyl Toyopearl, PhenylToyopearl, or protein A Sepharose, SDS-PAGE chromatography, silicachromatography, chromatofocusing, reverse phase HPLC (e.g., silica gelwith appended aliphatic groups), gel filtration using, e.g., Sephadexmolecular sieve or size-exclusion chromatography, chromatography oncolumns that selectively bind the polypeptide, and ethanol or ammoniumsulfate precipitation.

Modified glycopeptides produced in culture are usually isolated byinitial extraction from cells, enzymes, etc., followed by one or moreconcentration, salting-out, aqueous ion-exchange, or size-exclusionchromatography steps. Additionally, the modified glycoprotein may bepurified by affinity chromatography. Finally, HPLC may be employed forfinal purification steps.

A protease inhibitor, e.g., methylsulfonylfluoride (PMSF) may beincluded in any of the foregoing steps to inhibit proteolysis andantibiotics or preservatives may be included to prevent the growth ofadventitious contaminants. In an exemplary embodiment, the proteaseinhibitor is antipain.

Within another embodiment, supernatants from systems which produce themodified glycopeptide of the invention are first concentrated using acommercially available protein concentration filter, for example, anAmicon or Millipore Pellicon ultrafiltration unit. Following theconcentration step, the concentrate may be applied to a suitablepurification matrix. For example, a suitable affinity matrix maycomprise a ligand for the peptide, a lectin or antibody molecule boundto a suitable support. Alternatively, an anion-exchange resin may beemployed, for example, a matrix or substrate having pendant DEAE groups.Suitable matrices include acrylamide, agarose, dextran, cellulose, orother types commonly employed in protein purification. Alternatively, acation-exchange step may be employed. Suitable cation exchangers includevarious insoluble matrices comprising sulfopropyl or carboxymethylgroups. Sulfopropyl groups are particularly preferred.

Other methods of use in purification include size exclusionchromatography (SEC), hydroxyapatite chromatography, hydrophobicinteraction chromatography and chromatography on Blue Sepharose.

One or more RP-HPLC steps employing hydrophobic RP-HPLC media, e.g.,silica gel having pendant methyl or other aliphatic groups, may beemployed to further purify a polypeptide conjugate composition. Some orall of the foregoing purification steps, in various combinations, canalso be employed to provide a homogeneous or essentially homogeneousmodified glycoprotein.

The modified glycopeptide of the invention resulting from a large-scalefermentation may be purified by methods analogous to those disclosed byUrdal et al., J. Chromatog. 296: 171 (1984). This reference describestwo sequential, RP-HPLC steps for purification of recombinant human IL-2on a preparative HPLC column. Alternatively, techniques such as affinitychromatography may be utilized to purify the modified glycoprotein.

Pharmaceutical Compositions

Descriptions of the pharmaceutical compositions of use in the inventionare further described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/684,729, filed May 25, 2005 (Attorney Docket No: 040853-01-5144P1)and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/527,089, filed Sep. 13,2004 (attorney docket no: 040853-01-5144PR), both of which are hereinincorporated by reference.

The following examples are provided to illustrate the conjugates, andmethods and of the present invention, but not to limit the claimedinvention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Preparation of Cysteine-PEG₂ (2)

1.1 Synthesis of (1)

Potassium hydroxide (84.2 mg, 1.5 mmol, as a powder) was added to asolution of L-cysteine (93.7 mg, 0.75 mmol) in anhydrous methanol (20mL) under argon. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 min,and then mPEG-O-tosylate of molecular mass 20 kilodalton (Ts; 1.0 g,0.05 mmol) was added in several portions over 2 hours. The mixture wasstirred at room temperature for 5 days, and concentrated by rotaryevaporation. The residue was diluted with water (30 mL), and stirred atroom temperature for 2 hours to destroy any excess 20 kilodaltonmPEG-O-tosylate. The solution was then neutralized with acetic acid, thepH adjusted to pH 5.0 and loaded onto a reverse phase chromatography(C-18 silica) column. The column was eluted with a gradient ofmethanol/water (the product elutes at about 70% methanol), productelution monitored by evaporative light scattering, and the appropriatefractions collected and diluted with water (500 mL). This solution waschromatographed (ion exchange, XK 50 Q, BIG Beads, 300 mL, hydroxideform; gradient of water to water/acetic acid-0.75N) and the pH of theappropriate fractions lowered to 6.0 with acetic acid. This solution wasthen captured on a reversed phase column (C-18 silica) and eluted with agradient of methanol/water as described above. The product fractionswere pooled, concentrated, redissolved in water and freeze-dried toafford 453 mg (44%) of a white solid (1). Structural data for thecompound were as follows: ¹H-NMR (500 MHz; D₂O) δ 2.83 (t, 2H, O—C—CH₂—S), 3.05 (q, 1H, S—CHH—CHN), 3.18 (q, 1H, (q, 1H, S—CHH—CHN), 3.38 (s,3H, CH ₃O), 3.7 (t, OCH ₂CH₂O), 3.95 (q, 1H, CHN). The purity of theproduct was confirmed by SDS PAGE.

1.2 Synthesis of (2)

Triethylamine (˜0.5 mL) was added dropwise to a solution of 1 (440 mg,22 mmol) dissolved in anhydrous CH₂Cl₂ (30 mL) until the solution wasbasic. A solution of 20 kilodalton mPEG-O-p-nitrophenyl carbonate (660mg, 33 mmol) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (3.6 mg, 30.8 mmol) in CH₂Cl₂ (20mL) was added in several portions over 1 h at room temperature. Thereaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h. The solventwas then removed by rotary evaporation, the residue was dissolved inwater (100 mL), and the pH adjusted to 9.5 with 1.0 N NaOH. The basicsolution was stirred at room temperature for 2 h and was thenneutralized with acetic acid to a pH 7.0. The solution was then loadedonto a reversed phase chromatography (C-18 silica) column. The columnwas eluted with a gradient of methanol/water (the product elutes atabout 70% methanol), product elution monitored by evaporative lightscattering, and the appropriate fractions collected and diluted withwater (500 mL). This solution was chromatographed (ion exchange, XK 50Q, BIG Beads, 300 mL, hydroxide form; gradient of water to water/aceticacid-0.75N) and the pH of the appropriate fractions lowered to 6.0 withacetic acid. This solution was then captured on a reversed phase column(C-18 silica) and eluted with a gradient of methanol/water as describedabove. The product fractions were pooled, concentrated, redissolved inwater and freeze-dried to afford 575 mg (70%) of a white solid (2).Structural data for the compound were as follows: ¹H-NMR (500 MHz; D₂O)δ 2.83 (t, 2H, O—C—CH ₂—S), 2.95 (t, 2H, O—C—CH ₂—S), 3.12 (q, 1H,S—CHH—CHN), 3.39 (s, 3H CH ₃O), 3.71 (t, OCH ₂CH ₂O). The purity of theproduct was confirmed by SDS PAGE.

Example 2 GlycoPEGylation of Factor IX Produced in CHO Cells

This example sets forth the preparation of asialoFactor IX and itssialylation with CMP-sialic acid-PEG.

2.1 Desialylation of rFactor IX

A recombinant form of Coagulation Factor IX (rFactor IX) was made in CHOcells. 6000 IU of rFactor IX were dissolved in a total of 12 mL USP H₂O.This solution was transferred to a CENTRICON® Plus 20, PL-10 centrifugalfilter with another 6 mL USP H₂O. The solution was concentrated to 2 mLand then diluted with 15 mL 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 0.15 M NaCl, 5 mMCaCl₂, 0.05% NaN₃ and then reconcentrated. The dilution/concentrationwas repeated 4 times to effectively change the buffer to a final volumeof 3.0 mL. Of this solution, 2.9 mL (about 29 mg of rFactor IX) wastransferred to a small plastic tube and to it was added 530 mUα2-3,6,8-Neuraminidase-agarose conjugate (Vibrio cholerae, Calbiochem,450 μL). The reaction mixture was rotated gently for 26.5 hours at 32°C. The mixture was centrifuged 2 minutes at 10,000 rpm and thesupernatant was collected. The agarose beads (containing neuraminidase)were washed 6 times with 0.5 mL 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.12, 1 M NaCl, 0.05%NaN₃. The pooled washings and supernatants were centrifuged again for 2minutes at 10,000 rpm to remove any residual agarose resin. The pooled,desialylated protein solution was diluted to 19 mL with the same bufferand concentrated down to ˜2 mL in a CENTRICON® Plus 20 PL-10 centrifugalfilter. The solution was twice diluted with 15 mL of 50 mM Tris-HCl pH7.4, 0.15 M NaCl, 0.05% NaN₃ and reconcentrated to 2 mL. The finaldesialyated rFactor IX solution was diluted to 3 mL final volume (˜10mg/mL) with the Tris Buffer. Native and desialylated rFactor IX sampleswere analyzed by IEF-Electrophoresis. Isoelectric Focusing Gels (pH 3-7)were run using 1.5 μL (15 μg) samples first diluted with 10 μL Trisbuffer and mixed with 12 μL sample loading buffer. Gels were loaded, runand fixed using standard procedures. Gels were stained with ColloidalBlue Stain (FIG. 154), showing a band for desialylated Factor IX.

Example 3 Preparation of PEG (1 kDa and 10 kDa)-SA-Factor IX

Desialylated rFactor-IX (29 mg, 3 mL) was divided into two 1.5 mL (14.5mg) samples in two 15 mL centrifuge tubes. Each solution was dilutedwith 12.67 mL 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 0.15 M NaCl, 0.05% NaN₃ and eitherCMP-SA-PEG-1k or 10k (7.25 μmol) was added. The tubes were invertedgently to mix and 2.9 U ST3Gal3 (326 μL) was added (total volume 14.5mL). The tubes were inverted again and rotated gently for 65 hours at32° C. The reactions were stopped by freezing at −20° C. 10 μg samplesof the reactions were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The PEGylated proteins werepurified on a Toso Haas Biosep G3000SW (21.5×30 cm, 13 um) HPLC columnwith Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline, pH 7.1 (Gibco), 6 mL/min. Thereaction and purification were monitored using SDS Page and IEF gels.Novex Tris-Glycine 4-20% 1 mm gels were loaded with 10 μL (10 μg) ofsamples after dilution with 2 μL of 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl,0.05% NaN₃ buffer and mixing with 12 μL sample loading buffer and 1 μL0.5 M DTT and heated for 6 minutes at 85° C. Gels were stained withColloidal Blue Stain (FIG. 155) showing a band for PEG (1 kDa and 10kDa)-SA-Factor IX.

Example 4 Direct Sialyl-GlycoPEGylation of Factor IX

This example sets forth the preparation of sialyl-PEGylation of FactorIX without prior sialidase treatment.

4.1 Sialyl-PEGylation of Factor-IX with CMP-SA-PEG-(10 KDa)

Factor IX (1100 IU), which was expressed in CHO cells and was fullysialylated, was dissolved in 5 mL of 20 mM histidine, 520 mM glycine, 2%sucrose, 0.05% NaN₃ and 0.01% polysorbate 80, pH 5.0. The CMP-SA-PEG-(10kDa) (27 mg, 2.5 μmol) was then dissolved in the solution and 1 U ofST3Gal3 was added. The reaction was complete after gently mixing for 28hours at 32° C. The reaction was analyzed by SDS-PAGE as described byInvitrogen. The product protein was purified on an Amersham Superdex 200(10×300 mm, 13 μm) HPLC column with phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.0(PBS), 1 mL/min. R_(t)=9.5 min.

Example 5 Sialyl-PEGylation of Factor-IX with CMP-SA-PEG-(20 kDa)

Factor IX (1100 IU), which was expressed in CHO cells and was fullysialylated, was dissolved in 5 mL of 20 mM histidine, 520 mM glycine, 2%sucrose, 0.05% NaN₃ and 0.01% polysorbate 80, pH 5.0. The CMP-SA-PEG-(20kDa) (50 mg, 2.3 μmol) was then dissolved in the solution and CST-II wasadded. The reaction mixture was complete after gently mixing for 42hours at 32° C. The reaction was analyzed by SDS-PAGE as described byInvitrogen.

The product protein was purified on an Amersham Superdex 200 (10×300 mm,13 μm) HPLC column with phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.0 (Fisher), 1mL/min. R_(t)=8.6 min.

Example 6 Sialic Acid Capping of GlycoPEGylated Factor IX

This examples sets forth the procedure for sialic acid capping ofsialyl-glycoPEGylated Factor IX.

6.1 Sialic acid capping of N-linked and O-linked Glycans ofFactor-IX-SA-PEG (10 kDa)

Purified r-Factor-IX-PEG (10 kDa) (2.4 mg) was concentrated in aCENTRICON®

Plus 20 PL-10 (Millipore Corp., Bedford, Mass.) centrifugal filter andthe buffer was changed to 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.2, 0.15 M NaCl, 0.05% NaN₃to a final volume of 1.85 mL. The protein solution was diluted with 372μL of the same Tris buffer and 7.4 mg CMP-SA (12 mmol) was added as asolid. The solution was inverted gently to mix and 0.1 U ST3Gal1 and 0.1U ST3Gal3 were added. The reaction mixture was rotated gently for 42 hat 32° C.

A 10 μg sample of the reaction was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. NovexTris-Glycine 4-12% 1 mm gels were performed and stained using ColloidalBlue as described by Invitrogen. Briefly, samples, 10 μL (10 μg), weremixed with 12 μL sample loading buffer and 1 μL 0.5 M DTT and heated for6 minutes at 85° C.

Example 7 Glycopegylated Factor IX Pharmacokinetic Study

Four glycoPEGylated FIX variants (PEG-9 variants) were tested in a PKstudy in normal mice. The activity of the four compounds had previouslybeen established in vitro by clot, endogenous thrombin potential (ETP),and thromboelastograph (TEG) assays. The activity results are summarizedin Table I.

TABLE I ETP (relative TEG (relative Clot activity specific specificCompound (% of plasma) activity activity rhFIX 45% 1.0 1.0 PEG-9-2K (LS)27% 0.3 0.2 PEG-9-2K (HS) 20% 0.2 0.1 PEG-9-10K 11% 0.6 0.3 PEG-9-30K14% 0.9 0.4

To assess the prolongation of activity of the four PEG-9 compounds incirculation, a PK study was designed and performed. Non-hemophilic micewere used, 2 animal per time point, 3 samples per animal. Sampling timepoints were 0, 0.08, 0.17, 0.33, 1, 3, 5, 8, 16, 24, 30, 48, 64, 72, and96 h post compound administration. Blood samples were centrifuged andstored in two aliquots; one for clot analysis and one for ELISA. Due tomaterial restrictions, the PEG-9 compounds were dosed in differentamounts: rhFIX 250 U/kg; 2K(low substitution: “LS” (1-2 PEGsubstitutions per peptide molecule) 200 U/kg; 2K(high substitution: “HS”(3-4 PEG substitutions per peptide molecule) 200 U/kg; 10K 100 U/kg; 30K100 U/kg. All doses were based on measured clotting assay units.

The results are outlined in Table II.

TABLE II Dose Cmax AUC CL Compound (U/kg) (U/mL) (h-U/mL (mL/h/kg) rhFIX250 0.745 1.34 187 PEG-9-2K (LS) 200 0.953 4.69 42.7 PEG-9-2K (HS) 2000.960 9.05 22.1 PEG-9-10K 100 0.350 2.80 35.7 PEG-9-30K 100 1.40 8.8311.3

The results demonstrate a trend towards prolongation for all the PEG-9compounds. The values of AUC and Cmaxwere not compared directly.However, clearance (CL) was compared and CL is lower for the PEG-9compounds compared to rhFIX, indicating a longer residence time in themice. The time for the last detectable clot activity is increased forthe PEG-9 compounds compared to rhFIX, even though rhFIX wasadministered at the highest dose.

Example 8 Preparation of LS and HS GlycoPEGylated Factor IX

GlycoPEGylated Factor IX with a low degree of substitution with PEG wereprepared from native Factor IX by an exchange reaction catalyzed byST3Gal-III. The reactions were performed in a buffer of 10 mM histidine,260 mM glycine, 1% sucrose and 0.02% Tween 80, pH 7.2. For PEGylationwith CMPSA-PEG (2 kD and 10 kD), Factor IX (0.5 mg/mL) was incubatedwith ST3GalIII (50 mU/mL) and CMP-SA-PEG (0.5 mM) for 16 h at 32° C. ForPEGylation with CMP-SA-PEG 30 kD, the concentration of Factor IX wasincreased to 1.0 mg/mL, and the concentration of CMP-SA-PEG wasdecreased to 0.17 mM. Under these conditions, more than 90% of theFactor IX molecules were substituted with at least one PEG moiety.

GlycoPEGylated Factor IX with a high degree of substitution with PEG wasprepared by enzymatic desialylation of native Factor IX. The Factor IXpeptide was buffer exchanged into 50 mM mES, pH 6.0, using a PD10column, adjusted to a concentration of 0.66 mg/mL and treated with AUSsialidase (5 mU/mL) for 16 h at 32° C. Desialylation was verified bySDS-PAGE, HPLC and MALDI glycan analysis. Asialo Factor IX was purifiedon Q Sepharose FF to remove the sialidase. The CaCl₂ fraction wasconcentrated using an Ultra15 concentrator and buffer exchanged intoMES, pH 6.0 using a PD10 column.

2 kD and 10 kD PEGylation of asialo-Factor IX (0.5 mg/mL) was carriedout by incubation with ST3Gal-III (50 mU/mL) and CMP-SA-PEG (0.5 mM) at32° C. for 16 h. For PEGylation with CMPSA-PEG-30 kD, the concentrationof Factor IX was increased to 1.0 mg/mL and the concentration ofCMP-SA-PEG was decreased to 0.17 mM. After 16 h of PEGylation, glycanswith terminal galactose were capped with sialic acid by adding 1 mMCMP-SA and continuing the incubation for an additional 8 h at 32° C.Under these conditions, more than 90% of the Factor IX molecules weresubstituted with at least one PEG moiety. Factor IX produced by thismethod has a higher apparent molecular weight in SDS-PAGE.

Example 9 Preparation of O-GlycoPEGylated Factor IX

O-glycan chains were introduced de novo into native Factor IX (1 mg/mL)by incubation of the peptide with GalNAcT-II (25mU/mL) and 1 mMUDP-GalNAc at 32° C. After 4 h of incubation, the PEGylation reactionwas initiated by adding CMPSA-PEG (2 Kd or 10 Kd at 0.5 mM or 30 kDd at0.17 mM) and ST6GalNAc—I (25 mU/mL) and incubating for an additional 20h.

Example 10 aPTT Assay of Compound A (PEG 30K FIX), Compound B (PEG 2KFIX), and FIX (rhFIX) in FIX-Deficient Knockout Mice 10.1 Materials andMethods

All mice used in the experiment were FIX knockout mice (Lin et al.,Blood 1997), crossed into a C57B1/6 strain background. Mice were aged9-19 weeks at the time of the pharmacokinetic study. Both male andfemale mice were studied. Mice were distributed between groups to give amean weight for each group which was similar and to give a distributionof weights in each of the groups. Additional mice were maintained forregular phlebotomy to provide FIX deficient serum for dilution ofsamples and standards.

Test animals were anesthetized with Avertin or Domitor. Right and leftneck was shaved, and prepared in a sterile fashion. A small incision wasmade in the right neck to expose the external jugular vein. Factor IXwas delivered (150 U/kg) in a total volume of approximately 100-120microliters. The needle was withdrawn and gelfoam/surgifoam was appliedwith pressure to supplement local hemostasis. The neck incision wassutured closed. The mouse was placed under a warming lamp and wholeblood was collected into 9 volumes:1 volume sodium citrate at thefollowing times: pre-bleed (24 h or 48 h pre-dosing or 72 h post); 15min; 1 h; 4 h; 24 h; 48 h; 72 h (for cross-over groups or in place ofpre-bleed). Plasma from each aliquot was used for aPTT analysis using aStart 4 Coagulation Analyzer and Dapttin Tc-reagent.

Compound A was a FIX glycoPEGylated with sialic acid branched PEG (30kD) based on cysteine bearing a PEG at the S atom and a PEG at NH.Compound B was a FIX glycoPEGylated with a sialic acid linear PEG (2 kD)glycine construct with PEG at the NH moiety.

10.2 Results

Pre 24 hours (Mean; range) 48 hours (M/R) 72 hours (M/R) Factor IX (n =12) <1% 7.5% (2-16%) 3.0% (1.2-4.1%) 1.6% (<1-2.5%) Compound A (n = 9)<1% 187% (95-200%) 140% (79-200%) 77% (36-118%) Compound B (n = 11) <1%62% (39-89%) 24% (9-40%) 10.1% (6-19%)

The terminal phase half-life of conjugated and unconjugated FIX in thesemice was determined by plotting the average values at each timepoint (60minutes, 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour for terminal phase), generating thelinear curve of the fall-off, and then using the slope of that line inthe following formula:

T _(1/2)=log_(e)(2)/b ₂

Where b₂ is the slope. (Ewenstein, et al. Transfusion 2002). Theunconjugated FIX T_(1/2) in the mice was 12.8 hours.

The values for the unconjugated FIX samples were determined fromundiluted (1:1) samples, because all values fell within the linear rangefor the aPTT standard. The 15 minutes sample was actually run at 1:1 and1:2, and each gave a consistent result of 74% at 15 minutes. The dose of150 U/kg would give an expected recovery after dosing of plasma-derivedFIX to a human of 150%. Unconjugated FIX is known to have a decreasedrecovery (˜55-80% of expected) when compared to PD FIX in humans. Thiscould be even lower in mice, accounting for the FIX recovery of about50% of expected seen in these animals (74% observed/150% expected).

Determination of the values for Neose A samples had to account for theunexpectedly high initial values, which rose above the top standard(200%) even when diluted 1:2 and 1:4. The recoversie in the first hourappear to be in the 700-800% range, which is to about 500% of theexpected recovery after a dose of 150 U/kg. The terminal half-life is 23hours, calculated as above.

The values for the Neose B samples were in the range of 325-350% in thefirst hour after injection, indicating a recovery of >200% of expected.The terminal phase T_(1/2) was 14.4 hours.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein arefor illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changesin light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and areto be included within the spirit and purview of this application andscope of the appended claims. All publications, patents, and patentapplications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety for all purposes.

1. A PEGylated Factor IX protein comprising SEQ ID NO:1 and apoly(ethylene glycol) moiety, wherein the poly(ethylene glycol) moietyis conjugated to an amino acid selected from Asn 157 and Asn 167 of SEQID NO:1 via a glycosyl linking group of a glycosyl residue, and having acomposition according to the formula:

wherein R² is COOH; R³ is H; R⁴ is OH; D is OH; and G is R¹-L- wherein Lis a substituted heteroalkyl linker comprising C(O)CH₂NH; R¹ is thepoly(ethylene glycol) moiety, wherein the poly(ethylene glycol) moietycomprises a branched poly(ethylene glycol) having a core glycerolmoiety, and wherein the branched poly(ethylene glycol) has a molecularweight of about 40 kDa.
 2. A pharmaceutical formulation comprising theFactor IX conjugate of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptablecarrier.
 3. A method of stimulating blood coagulation in a mammal, saidmethod comprising administering to said mammal the PEGylated Factor IXconjugate of claim
 1. 4. A method of treating hemophilia in a subject,said method comprising administering to said subject said Factor IXconjugate of claim
 1. 5. The method of treating hemophilia of claim 4,wherein hemophilia is hemophilia B.